


Redemption

by CallistaGseran



Series: The Sith Duology [2]
Category: Star Wars Legends - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Family Drama, Family Feels, Jedi, Jedi/Sith Conflict, Mystery Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:33:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 107,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21820996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CallistaGseran/pseuds/CallistaGseran
Summary: Things were not always what they seemed, and a final showdown with the Sith puts the abilities - and fate - of many of the Jedi to the ultimate test. Co-written by: Xan Qenadius, Steffan Karrde and Myk-ron Dinn.
Relationships: Arie Dinn/Myk-ron Dinn, Callista Gseran/Xan Qenadius, Steffan Karrde/Jade Karrde
Series: The Sith Duology [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1565119





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Star Wars and associated material contained within works produced or published by LucasFilm Ltd., or its subsidiaries remains the sole property, copyright, and trademark of said entities. No profit is being made from this work. All characters contained within this work are original (with the exception of appearances by some canon characters), and remain the intellectual property of their originating writers.
> 
> The Cataani people and all related information is the brainchild of Steffan Karrde. All characters used are used with the permission of their originating writer.
> 
> Mando'a language © Karen Traviss and LFL.

**Redemption**

Continued from " _To All Things, An End._ "

* * *

He had been in hyperspace for 3 days now; he knew someone would come after him so he dared not stop. But his craft was NR, so he had to get rid of it and soon. He had a feeling Steffan wanted him found, and he knew that hiding from that Jedi was almost impossible.

“Rancor’s Lair, come in.”

Ainar had set a course for a star-system near Kessel, going straight for Barab in this craft left a trail Steffan would be sure to find.

“ _Rancor’s Lair respondin’. What’s yer bidness here?”_

Ainar had to make this convincing if they found out that he was a Jedi they would shoot him out of the sky. “Rancor's Lair, my name is Lissord Perenzo. I'm on the run from those blasted NR agents, and I need to get rid of this vessel as soon as possible.” A few seconds passed and Ainar felt that he was getting nervous. If they didn't buy it, he would have to jump out of here real fast.

“ _Cap’n Perenzo...that vessel is registered to a Jedi...next you are gonna tell me you killed ‘im!”_

Thankfully Ainar had made sure to erase every bit of data on this ship about his real identity and changed into an old flight suit he found in the cargo bay. The suit did not smell very good. “No, I didn't kill anyone...I needed a ride and I stole this ship on Coruscant. Now they are after me! Please.” Ainar started punching in a new set of coordinates, just in case they didn't believe him.

“ _Cap’n, we are sendin’ you landin’ coordinates. Shut down your weapon systems and exit the ship unarmed, and then we will see if you are really who you say you are...”_

“Alright, I'll do that, thank you.” Ainar cut the channel and fed the data into the computer and entered the planet's atmosphere. He had his passport ready, and he stretched. Hopefully, he would be out of here in a few hours. Suddenly Ainar felt a wave of emotions hit him, he leaned against the panel and regained his balance. “Welcome back Arie...it's good to have you back,” he said to no one in particular. He wanted to contact her, let her know how much he cared for her...but he couldn't risk it...risk her locating him in the Force. He sat down at the controls again and prepared the ship for landing.

* * *

_ **Livda** _

She lay naked in his arms, shivering as the hot water ran down over him and onto her. His chest was warm and firm against the side of her head. She shivered again...she could not get warm... Her skin against his, wrapped tightly in his arms at the bottom of her 'fresher tub, letting hot streams of water pour over their bodies, he held her tighter still...

She continued to shiver...warmth was eluding her body... She tried to move closer into his arms, but she was as close as she could get without becoming one with him...the limits of physical reality were confining. She turned in his arms so that his chest was pressed against hers and her head rested on his shoulder. Every muscle in her body ached...

The shivering slowed... _Myk-Ron.....I'm so cold..._ She sent out weakly.

“I'm right here, my love. I'm not letting go,” Myk-Ron voiced, looking down at his wife’s weakened form lying naked in his arms. Upon her return from the other side, he had immediately gotten undressed and into the bathtub with her in his arms, allowing the hot water to stimulate her skin and body...he did not have a bacta tank handy, so the tub had to do.

She was quiet...too quiet for his tastes. “Arie...come on, baby-doll, talk to me,” Myk-Ron pleaded softly as his wife’s form was very still in his arms, shaking her lightly to get her attention.

 _I hurt,_ was all she managed to send out. She was too weak to voice her own thoughts and what little strength she could draw from the Force was just enough to send her husband a mental message.

“I know you do, darlin’, but you gotta try talkin' to me...I gotta keep you here with me....I'm not letting go of you again,” Myk-Ron said, beginning to rock her gently in his arms, the tub and 'fresher room cloudy with steam from the hot water.

“Did.....you get the number...on the bantha that ran me over?” Arie weakly joked, opening her eyes for the first time in what felt like ages to see a blurry version of her husband’s face looking down at her, smiling. Her voice was soft and dim, with no real effort behind its tone.

Myk knew she was very, very weak....traveling between realms and within worlds had put a strain physically, emotionally, and mentally on Arie...still she was making an effort to talk and stay awake.

“That's my girl...” Myk laughed softly, hugging her close to him.

“Remind me.... _never_ to do that...again...” Arie weakly said.

“I'm never going to let you do that again. I know what it’s like on the other side, and I refuse to lose you...” Myk agreed. He moved her head to his right shoulder and draped her legs over his lap and left arm and cradled her in his right arm.

Arie smiled weakly at him. He leaned over and kissed her....deeply....as if he would never let her go....

* * *

He kept a silent vigil with her for the rest of the night. She lay under fifteen blankets on the bed and Myk had the heat dialed up to near unbearable conditions...yet she still shivered. He wore no more than a loose pair of shorts on the bed next to her with one arm around her incredibly fragile body. Coming back from the dead was no easy task, and the ordeal had taxed her dearly. Throughout the night, Myk lay there awake, concentrating on the Force and channeling it through him and into his girl. He could feel the life energy slowly begin to grow inside her...but it would take a little time for her to heal fully.

_And yet..._

The Phoenix had returned to her...he could feel its immense power within her. He could only guess that the warmth of the Phoenix was draining Arie’s body of heat as the two sought their familiar coexistence.

Myk had a suspicion that when she did finally recover, she'd be back to her old self again. She'd be back to the way she was when she was twenty-four, strong and able both mentally and physically. She might even be stronger. The bird had certainly felt stronger...

She stirred in his arms. "It's a little hot, babe," She mumbled, half-asleep. Myk smiled as he removed a few of the blankets and lay back down beside her. She was getting better with each passing hour. Setting his mind back at ease, Myk began channeling the Force into his wife again.

* * *

He awoke to the sounds and smells of breakfast, and cursed himself for having fallen asleep. Something wasn't right, Arie wasn't next to him.

He leaped out of bed and cringed as his cracked ribs protested the sudden movement. In light of everything that had happened, he’d completely forgotten about the wounds he’d sustained under Ainar’s assault and Rhen Var. His body was young again, the old pain was gone, but broken ribs are broken ribs. He shoved the pain aside for now. Quickly, he threw on his pants and shirt, ignoring the pain such motion caused. He grabbed his lightsaber and burst out of the room...

Interrupting what looked like a down-home, family breakfast.

“You look quite the warrior, Myk-Ron,” Steffan joked from the table. “Saving the galaxy in our pajamas now, are we?”

Arie smiled from the stove, and Myk could sense the energy flowing off of her. She was back. She was strong. And, she positively glowed.

Myk laughed. “I haven't had a home-cooked meal in...well...longer than I care to think about. I thought I'd been kidnapped.” He tossed his lightsaber back into the bedroom and crossed the kitchen to his wife. “I dunno what you're makin', Babe, but it sure smells good.” He went for the spoon in the pot on the stove, but Arie slapped his hand away.

“You go sit at the table like a civilized being, ya big nerf-herder,” Arie chided him. Myk stole another quick kiss and went to sit down. A slight groan escaped him as his ribs again protested against his moving. But, despite the pain, as Myk looked around the table he couldn't help but smile. This was why he fought. This was the stuff life was made of.

The galaxy could wait; Ainar could wait. For now, he was content to just sit and eat. For now, he could soak it all in and truly know what it was he fought for.

* * *

They had spent the day practicing, training, healing, relaxing, and eating. The Dinn and Karrde family together on the back porch terrace overlooking Arie's massive yard and then the city of Vista-Lopo down in the valley below.

It had been peaceful all day...a day of rest for friends, family...and Jedi alike.

Arie had been keeping tabs on the Endor events through her squadron's datapad and comlinks. Brink seemed edgy every time she pulled up the latest news, but relaxed once he heard that the last of the mobile suits controlled by the Bothans had been captured...When they had left the battle, the Sith had all been destroyed. Thanks to Andrea and _Blue Talon._

Arie, on the other hand, seemed more relaxed than Brink had seen her in years. She seemed completely at peace with the idea that the Catanni Admiral DeSoto, and the Corellian Colonel Turner, along with Admiral Layloto-San were conducting the clean-up and last sweeps of the battle just fine without her overseeing eye.

Unbeknownst to anyone in the group, she could feel Ainar in the Force, but she did not try to narrow his location. She knew he was searching for something in his soul and needed this time to himself and she was content to let her former student walk his own path in life.... She had been down the same road Ainar was now walking and she knew this was something he had to do on his own...he had to make peace with the past in his own way and in his own time...however long that took.

She could also feel something else...something darker than she had ever felt before.... since being in the Haze, as she was calling the in between feeling of the Force, she had a keener feeling for things further away from her. Almost as if her intuition in the Force had been sharpened to a fine point...she could feel it, whatever it was...out there in the cold blackness of space...

Later that night, after the Karrde family had occupied her guest rooms and had long since fallen asleep, she found her husband standing in the hallway leading to the master bedroom, staring at the holos she had framed on the wall.... pictures of her family, her friends, her squadrons long since passed.... pictures of her and Myk-Ron and Kevin...and Calsa and Ter-lon.

Arie walked up behind her husband who was wearing a pair of black silken night slacks and no shirt. The weather was always warm and pleasant on Livda, and Myk-Ron had forgotten how warm it could get. Arie had remembered though and was wearing a light blue satin nightgown, ankle-length, sleeveless with a sheer outer blue shawl around her shoulders.

Arie stood behind Myk and wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head upon the back of his shoulder. She felt him wince slightly from the pain. “You really should let me heal those ribs,” Arie whispered softly, kissing her husband’s shoulder, his skin soft against her lips.

“I know...I just didn’t want to stress you after you’d just come back from that place…and, I guess I’m too thick-headed to ask for help,” Myk-Ron softly laughed, so as not to wake the Karrde family.

Arie turned her husband around in the hallway and leaned into his arms. He wrapped her up against him and let her rest her head upon his chest. He laid his chin upon the top of her head for a moment and they stood together, peaceful.

Then Myk-Ron winced again, but this time not from pain but cold shock. He looked down past his wife in his arms to find Arie's two canines at her heels. One of them had rubbed its cold, wet nose against his arm, making him jump.

“Damn dogs,” Myk-Ron cursed lightly, squeezing his wife in his arms.

“They aren't dogs, honey....they are domesticated Thorus Sounders, and they’re just big babies,” Arie softly laughed, letting her left hand fall to the canines and stroked their heads as they licked her hand.

“I thought you were going to use some of your fiery bird voodoo magic on me to heal my ribs...” Myk-Ron joked softly, lifting his wife's chin to kiss her. She got the hint and smiled at him.

“Well, darling...that would require your presence in the bedroom with me....and without your clothes,” Arie slyly smiled as she kissed her husband again and walked down the hallway, grinning over her shoulder, beckoning him to follow her...


	2. Chapter 2

_ **Livda** _

_Where are you?_ Steffan thought as he stood in an open area of the woods outside Arie's home. The wound was finally starting to quit aching, but the aftermath of putting himself in danger to bring Ainar back to his senses had left an impression on Steffan. He looked to the stars, pulling out Ainar's lightsaber and held it out in front of him, focusing his senses through the Force on it. A lightsaber was an extension of the Jedi's self, and he was making an assumption that might give a general direction of where to start. He focused on an image of Ainar and poured it through his friend's lightsaber as he softly whispered, “Guide me.”

The lightsaber softly hovered over his hand and started to spin furiously on all three axis. It kept this going for a few moments before it began to slow down a bit at a time. Suddenly, it held in one direction and the lightsaber's blade came alive. Steffan looked down the blade as it pointed to one of the many stars overhead.

 _Outer Rim_ , he told himself as he tried to remember some of his star charts. _It’s vague, but it’s a start._

* * *

Ainar lowered the ramp and exited with his hands above his head. “See? I'm unarmed,” he said, using the Force to influence the guards pointing blasters at him.

“So, you are Captain,” a fat Twi'lek man said, walking towards Ainar. “My name is Eeran. I am the...'executive' of this little business here.”

“Nice to meet you,” Ainar responded, lowering his hands. He shook Eeran's hand. “I’m Captain Perenzo.”

“Welcome Captain. May I ask where you heard about us? I would hate to think that we are in the Galactic Yellow Pages,” Eeran laughed.

“No, nothing like that...I asked around, and you were _recommended_ ,” Ainar responded, using as much of the Force as he could to fool the Twi'lek. Usually, he could snap his fingers and have the man do tricks for him, but now…now he had to remain quiet in the Force.

“Well, friend, you have come to the right place...this is one fine ship you have there...A YT-2400 right?”

“Yes, with modified shielding and extra firepower. I wish I could keep her, but the NR agent's are tracking her, and I know you can let ships 'disappear'. All I need in return is a fast ship.”

“Alright then, I'll give you 3000 credits for her, and an X-wing. It’s fast, sturdy, and reliable.”

Ainar knew the Twi’lek was scamming him on the credits, but he didn't care. He had to get out of here and on the move again quick....for a moment there he felt like he had heard Steffan talking...but shook it off. “I accept...now, can we please hurry?”

* * *

“Do you think you're ready to handle things alright?” Steffan asked Arie as Jade, Andrea, and Dilan were squaring things away onboard _White Squall._

“I’m sure, brother,” Arie told him with a laugh as she hugged him. “Are you sure you won't stay any longer?”

“I've still matters to tend to from Rhen Var," he told her as they walked a bit. “And, I think I may have an idea of where to start looking for Ainar.”

“Steffan,” she warned him. “You know as well as I do that he'll be found when he wants to be found.”

“Of course,” Steffan said as he looked to see Callista coming out of the house. “We're fixing to head out!”

“I'm coming! I'm coming!”

“What's the flight plan?” Arie asked as the younger Jedi headed into the ship.

“Since Callista needs to hook up with Xan and Andrea needs to pick up her XJ3, Jade will take _White Squall_ to Coruscant,” He paused there and pointed to one of the stars overhead. “Ainar's lightsaber pointed towards that area when I tried an old technique. I'm going to take _Blue Talon_ from here and do a general check of the area before I go home.” He turned and looked at her, "But, you're right. I know I won't find him this easily.”

“He’s got to find his own way now, Steffan. You’ve just got to trust that he’ll come to terms with things on his own. I think he needs this, but I don’t think he’ll be gone forever. Go after him now, and it’ll be a waste of time,” Arie told Steffan.

“Aye,” Steffan agreed. “But I want to have a look around anyway.”

Arie sighed and shook her head. You are only going to make him run again....you are chasing him away, brother, Arie thought to herself. “My husband and I are going to accompany Major Maxell back to Endor to see how the clean up of the battle is going and then we shall meet you back at Coruscant in three days, alright?” Arie asked Steffan.

“Three days sounds good,” Steffan said as he looked out past the ship then turned back to her. “You know I'm not trying to drive him farther away, Arie. I just want him to know I want to talk, not confront.”

“It doesn't change the fact that you will make him run,” she told him. “Brother, please....give it up for now. You've got a lot of things to handle from all of this. Let Ainar make the first move.”

Steffan sighed and nodded, conceding the point to her. “Alright, I'll check this one hunch. Then...I will draw back and leave him be. But you know this goes against what I'm feeling here.”

“I know. But, with all things, they happen when they're ready.”

He looked at her and arched an eyebrow, "You're starting to sound more like a Jedi again rather than a General...”

* * *

Callista helped load the last of the Karrdes’ belongings and looked back to see Steffan and Arie in deep conversation. She knew it was about Ainar. She knew Steffan still wanted to go after Ainar, but she wasn’t sure that Master Karrde was thinking rationally about it. Ainar was his friend, his best friend, and it hurt the Catanni Master to know that he was out there somewhere, fighting demons alone.

_Ainar, I know that you can hear me, because I heard you back on Coruscant... Please come back to us, I know you can..._

* * *

Ainar tried to nap while in hyperspace, but every time he closed his eyes...he saw himself, striking Steffan down, slicing into his torso. He didn't like that very much. He just hoped his friend would forgive him one day.

_Ainar, I know that you can hear me, because I heard you back on Coruscant... Please come back to us, I know you can..._

Ainar was startled but recognized the voice. But he couldn't go back, not yet, not in a long time. He was back on course for Barab 1 and he would be there in less than 4 hours. The Barabels were a proud race and held the Jedi in high esteem after a pair of Jedi Knights settled a peace treaty there between clans back before the Imperial era. So he would be safe there. He just needed to make sure that the word of his arrival would not travel off-world. As Ainar relaxed back into his chair he looked out, the starlines soothed him....though he had a nagging feeling he was being watched...somehow.

* * *

Myk was up to his eyes in engine grease as he scrambled about, under, around, and in the _Firebird_. He and Arie were going to see how the clean-up was going at Endor, and it had been a life-age since the ship had seen any action. The shields were running a tad low, and the quads needed re-calibration...the engines just needed a quick tune-up.

The whole day he worked on his baby, and when he finished she shone in the early evening sun. Wiping grease from his hands, Myk-Ron took a deep, relaxing breath and stretched his senses a bit in the Force.

* * *

**Msst**

The mist that was this planet's namesake enshrouded the encampment. They'd already killed dozens of those horrible pink floating orbs that created the stuff. The creatures had proved a difficult kill regardless of their apparent laziness.

All was going as planned. The base had been set up within weeks, and training was in full force. In the mists, they fought for hours. They were sent on small missions to bring back crystals from the deadliest regions on the planet, the Crystal Mists. Many had died, but even more had survived and they were stronger for it. They would be ready...when the time came they would be ready for war.

“Brothers and Sisters of the Sith!” He called from a podium above the masses gathered for this occasion. “Today one of you becomes a warrior. Honor him, for that is his right. When the time comes he will be ready as will you all. The Jedi have hunted us for millennia. They have tried again and again to extinguish our flame from the galaxy. But we have survived. In a year, we shall take our fight to them, and they shall know the fear they once brought upon us. For now, we train, united once more as a people. Know that you fight for all those that have gone before you, and those that are yet to come!”

* * *

**Livda**

“Babe!” Myk called down the corridor of the _Firebird_. “You got everything you needed?”

“Yeah!” she called back, and Myk could hear the airlock sealing.

He smiled as she took her spot at the copilot's chair. This was going to be fun. Just like the old days...

* * *

**Livda**

“Master, the Phoenix and the Conduit have left Livda,” The captain spoke into his comlink. “Shall we pursue?”

“Yes,” His Master replied. “Test yourself against them. Die if you must, but remember that there is no dishonor in an intelligent retreat. We only need to scare them, Captain."

“As you will it, Milord.”

* * *

**Barab I**

“Milord,” The Sith at Barab 1 reported. “The Fallen One has just landed. Orders?”

“Keep your distance, Soldier,” His Master replied. “Keep an eye on him and make sure he stays put, but do NOT confront him or let him know you are there.”

“As you will it, Milord.”

* * *

**Livda – Aboard the Firebird**

Arie plopped down in the copilot's chair and immediately recoiled, a disgusted look on her face. “Oh Force, Myk, don't you ever clean this thing?” she asked, her hand brushing against some greenish-brown glob of crud that was smeared on the co-pilot's chair...

“Babe, it’s probably just engine grease,” Myk calmly replied, his boots kicked up on the cockpit's HUD rim as he leaned back in his chair, relaxed.

Arie shook her head, still disgusted and took a handkerchief out of her vest pocket and wiped the spot free of gunk. She rolled her eyes at her husband when he gave her a sheepish grin.

“Sorry, Sweety,” He said. “The engine’s spotless though. We could head back for a...uh…intimate inspection later.”

Arie laughed. “You do know how to talk to the ladies, Rogue,” she winked at him.

“I have my moments,” He sighed contently.

“Have you got things covered up here? I want to go check on our passengers,” Arie said as she rose from her seat.

“Sure thing, Arie,” Myk replied. “And, I was only half-joking about that ‘inspection’ ya know?”

Arie cast the Rogue a devilish grin. “And, I was only partly sarcastic in return. Engines make me hot,” she said before turning and leaving the cockpit to check on Brink and Maxell. The two were seated in the lounge area onboard the _Firebird_.

“Hey, you two. Everything alright?” Arie asked Brink who was wearing a smuggler's grin and Maxell who looked as if a bantha had just relieved itself on his new boot.

“Oh, just splendid!” Brink said. “Maxell, 'ole boy here can't play Sabacc worth a damn! Beat him three times already!”

“I'm afraid we were not taught how to play 'fringe-rat' card games at the academy,” Maxell said, mustering as much military dignity as he could.

“Arie went to a military academy as well....and so did I...we both know how to play...what was it you called it? 'Fringe rat' card games,” Brink smirked as Maxell blushed at the embarrassment he thought he had caused Arie.

Arie sat down at the table and gave Maxell a pat on the back. He looked at her and his sour expression lifted a bit as she smiled at him.

“Come on, Brent, loosen up a bit. I'll teach you how to play with the best of them,” Arie grinned as she began to deal the cards among the three players. “Or the worst.”

“Room for one more?” Myk asked from the hallway. Arie nodded and Myk strode over and purposely put his chair in between Maxell and his wife, forcing his wife to move closer to Brink. She frowned at him.

 _I saw that,_ Arie sent to him, shaking her head as she continued to deal cards.

 _Saw what?_ Myk asked, his face portraying an innocent look.

 _Put yourself between my advisor and me...a bit jealous are we?_ Arie sent back, slyly grinning.

“Will you two stop it!?!” Brink interrupted them, shaking his head at the two.

“Stop what, hotshot?” Arie asked, flinging the last card at Brink.

“Those mental conversations that only Jedi can have,” Brink replied, sorting his cards.

“Honestly, Brink, what makes you think we are doing that?” Arie feigned innocence.

“Because you make these ridiculous faces at each other while you’re doing it! I been around you two long enough, I can sometimes even guess what you’re sayin’. The cuteness is obnoxious,” Brink laughed. “Now, quit yer yackin’ and kriffin’ play!”

Myk and Arie laughed as they began the Sabacc game, teaching Maxell how to play with three of the best former smugglers in the galaxy...

* * *

Arie watched starlines flying past the transparisteel of the cockpit, wondering if Ainar was alright, and if Steffan's flight was going well. She also wondered if his family had made it safely to Cataan....she kept feeling something distant...something dark...and then felt her husband's arms around her waist.

She smiled as he rested his head on her shoulder, holding her in front of him.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked softly.

“Nothing,” Arie quickly replied, hiding her worries from her husband. She did not want to spoil the good mood he had been in after beating her and Brink at Sabacc four times in a row before Arie had finally given up.

“Sure?” He asked, kissing her neck softly. She turned to face him, smiling.

“Yes, love. Just running through my head the things we need to do and things I need to see to once we reach Endor,” Arie replied, kissing her husband on the lips and pulling out of his embrace to lay down for the night.

Myk-Ron watched her go, shaking his head, knowing she was trying to hide her worries from him, but was not doing a very good job of it...

* * *

 _Blue Talon_ dropped out of hyperspace and cruised around in a gentle arch as Steffan got his bearings and closed his eyes to get a feel of the situation. He took a few moments before sweeping the wings back and just let inertia carry him along as he tried to focus on anything that the connection from Ainar's lightsaber could give him.

But so far, he was getting nowhere. Arie and Myk's point was coming in loud and clear. But, he knew using the lightsaber as a focal point was a long shot, and Steffan could do no more than try. So he just leaned back in the pilot's seat.

 _It was worth a shot_ , he thought as he prepared to plot an exit path for home. And, that was when he started getting an energy signal from the asteroid belts nearby. It was too large to be just a single ship or even a group of them...a base?

He cruised in a little closer, stretching out with his senses. Something wasn't feeling right here. About the time he was close enough to start an active scan, a group of blasts exploded off to the starboard.

“That's far enough right there!” A voice came out over an open channel. “Get any closer and they'll need a sponge to collect your remains.”

Steffan flipped a few switches above him and _Blue Talon_ switched over from flight mode to mobile suit mode, but he didn't level any of the weapons on the area. He could already feel the anxiety and fear pick up a few moments after he had finished moving to a different position.

“We want nothing to do with you, Karrde. Get going now while you can.”

 _Reputation precedes me_ , Steffan told himself as he tried to think of a way to proceed without having to fire...

* * *

Arie stepped off the _Firebird's_ ramp in full military dress, her hair pulled back in a bun and her cap tucked under her arm. Her advisor, Maxell, stood beside her also in full dress. Myk and Brink stood adjacently, wearing older style uniforms (a concession to those who’d served before the joining of the Republics military branches), casually surveying the scene before them.

Before Myk's ship on the docking bay floor was the crew of the _Thorus Sounder,_ Arie's flagship, all in full military dress, saluting at attention. They were lined by file, division, platoon, and rank on either side of the bay, a pathway cleared for her to greet Admiral Layloto-San, Colonel Turner, and the Catanni Admirals from the battle fleet.

_They were dressed in white shining armor, blaster rifles at their sides as they stood at attention....Captain Needa and Admiral Piet mustered their most dignified look as Emperor Palpatine and Lord Vader descended the ramp onto the bay floor, looking over the stormtroopers....The Emperor darkly laughed as his evil plans to destroy the infant Rebellion grew in power with the Death Star..._

Arie shook the coldness off as a chill ran down her spine and the Force rushed in on her all at once. Myk-Ron wore the same look of disgust and coldness on his face. _He had felt it too._

“Maxell, find out what orbit we are on immediately!” Arie ordered, regaining her composure.

“And change it!” Myk added in.

“What’s the deal?” Brink asked, looking at Arie and Myk like they were Hutt bounty hunters.

“I know what course we are on...” Arie said quietly, remembering the flashback she had just seen through the Force.

“I do too...Battle of Endor....Palpatine's death,” Myk bit out, coldly, knowing from Han Solo's first-hand account what had happened in this region. The Emperor's death had left a "cold spot" in the Force that both Arie and Myk had felt as the orbit of Arie's flagship passed through the location where the Emperor had died.

Brink gave them a nod, understanding better what they had just felt. Arie saluted her troops and was approached by the Joint Chiefs.

“I will retire to my quarters. We shall discuss the battle come tomorrow morning,” Arie said, not even giving them a chance to speak up. They nodded and saluted, letting Arie pass in peace.

“As you wish, General,” Admiral Layloto-San replied.

They realized something must have been wrong, for Arie normally did not pass up a chance to debrief her command staff.

Maxell escorted the Joint Chiefs back to the bridge as Myk-Ron led his wife to her quarters and told Brink he would meet him in the ship's Class Six for a drink after a bit.

Arie entered her quarters and sighed heavily, feeling the strain of command once more. Myk-Ron noticed and locked the door behind them and walked around to the front of his wife. Arie removed her dress jacket and hung it up nearby.

“What can I do to help you shake that cold feeling?” Myk asked, grinning.

“Honey, I'm afraid until we change orbit, we are going to feel it upon every rotation,” Arie replied, somewhat tiredly.

“Uh-huh,” Myk said casually before turning a predatory smile on his wife. “Did I ever tell you that you look hot in that uniform? I’ve got an idea as to how we can shake that cold, but it takes two, and involves some serious physical conditioning…”

His hands snaked around her from behind and he unbuttoned her dress blouse slowly…Arie grinned.

* * *

“That was unusual,” Payne said softly after General Dinn had left the hanger area.

“What was?” Admiral DeSoto asked him from where he stood.

“She’s never waited for a debrief before, sir,” Matther told them. “Just makes me wonder what happened where ever it was they had gone.”

“Well, a break in the routine isn’t entirely unusual,” DeSoto told him. “Since we’re to wait till the morning, how soon can you get your battlegroup to vanguard position?”

“I've currently a combat patrol flying right now, but _Valkyrie_ can move at any time. Our fighter patrol can augment their course and meet us there.”

“Group status?”

Matther looked around the landing deck. “We lost five ships, several more were damaged. I currently have _Venture_ and _Vanguard_ escorting those that were critically damaged back home for repairs or scrapping.”

DeSoto nodded as they started walking to their respective shuttles. “Keep a squadron of your Nighthawks on standby, Captain. I'm instructing Hollis and Conners to do the same. Nothing wrong with being prepared.”

“Aye, Admiral.”

* * *

The first thing that Steffan saw coming out of the installation was a flight of Storm Owls that were making a straight line for him.

_What the hell?_

Storm Owls were a light, maneuverable, and well-made escort fighter and interceptor. Their streamlined design made them great as an atmospheric fighter for ground ops as well. And, they were strictly a Cataani-designed starfighter.

 _And, I know exactly where they got those,_ Steffan thought, uttering a curse at the man who had been responsible for it as he started warming his weapons up. “Rancor's Lair, we can do this one of two ways; the easy way...and, the really easy way.”

* * *

**Barab I**

Ainar opened the cockpit on the X-wing and climbed out. The warm air washed over him as he stretched his limbs. He had landed in the spaceport in Alater-ka and there were few people around. Ainar opened the cargo hold and got his luggage out.

"Welcome visitor, welcome to Alater-ka!"

Ainar turned around to see a friendly Gran, all of his 3 eyes sparkling with joy. They probably don't get a lot of visitors.

"I am the commander of this spaceport, Reyye-Yaas. And I welcome you to Barab 1." the Gran said, extending his hand.

Ainar walked over to the Gran and shook his hand, "Thank you Mr. Yaas." Ainar closed the hatch and locked down the X-wing. "I am here on personal leave, and I need a place to rent. I have New Republic credits"

"Of course my friend, please follow me, your credits are of course accepted here."

Ainar nodded and threw his bag over his shoulder. "Lead the way."

* * *

The city of Alater-ka was built in the middle of an arid desert. The temperature on the planet was around 45 degrees centigrade, and Ainar wiped the sweat from his forehead. He was still dressed in his pilot's uniform, tailored to keep him warm in space. He needed to change soon.

"Ahh, here we are,” the Gran pointed towards a tall building marked 'Spacelanes', obviously the main hotel in town. "There should be plenty of rooms available; the hunting season won't begin for another two months."

Ainar stepped off the transport and nodded towards the friendly Gran. "Thank you again Mr. Yaas."

"You're welcome...Mr?"

Ainar made sure he had his other passport on him, since 'Captain Perenzo' could no longer be used. "Mr. Kim,” he said. “My name is Veranni Kim."

* * *

**Coruscant**

"Coruscant Control, this is XJ-739 out from Livda requesting a landing vector for the Temple."

_"739, Coruscant Control. Please transmit your ID."_

"Transmitting..."

_"Received, 739. You are cleared to land."_

"Acknowledged..."

Callista guided her X-wing down to the Temple landing pad, and powered down. Before disembarking, she donned her robes. Noticing that a student awaited her at the edge of the landing zone, she hastened to meet him.

"Jedi Gseran, welcome to the Temple." The student bowed out of respect, and Callista returned the bow.

She gazed calmly at the student. "I wasn’t aware I’d have a welcoming party."

"The High Council asked that I escort you..." The student turned and guided her inside the Temple.

She wondered at that. She was to meet Xan, soon, but if the High Council requested her presence she couldn’t simply decline. As she wandered the Temple, memories came flooding back.... she had not come to the Temple until she was 15, but she remembered it well. Master Luxkert had taken her as a student and trained her in the healer's art. During her years at the Temple, Callista had employed her skills in many conflicts, helping to care for the wounded. She had progressed far in her training since then, but she never stopped learning.

The Force was whispering to her at this moment, and she knew that whatever happened henceforth could have a lasting impact on her journey as a Jedi.

* * *

"So, did you catch the shockball game last night?" Loran asked Grev as the two stood guard outside the main docking bay.

"No, didn't get the chance," Grev grumbled. "Damn double shifts. Who won?"

"Corellia."

"Krif!" Grev sighed. "Looks like I owe you twenty cred..."

Loran didn't answer.

Grev knew something was wrong and he swung his blaster towards where Loran had been standing. He never got a shot off. He didn't even have time to scream. The last thing he saw was an orange beam of light slicing through the air towards his eyes.

* * *

"Oh, Myk," Arie breathed. "That was...athletic..."

The two lay there, naked and drenched in sweat. Myk laughed. "I've been feeling a lot better in these past few weeks than I have in a long time, babe."

"I could tell," Arie whispered as she rolled over next to him. "But have you still got your endurance?" The sly look on her face vanished as she kissed him deeply...

* * *

"Anybody heard from Loran or Grev?" Lt. Bombassa asked as he leaned over the main security comm panel.

"No, Sir," someone answered from near the door. "They still have two minutes before they have to check..."

There was an odd sound, like energy cooking flesh, and that poor soul never got the chance to finish what he was saying. Bombassa swiveled towards the door and fired. And in that same instant, he too was dead.

Private Higgins crawled his way as best he could towards the alarm but stopped when a pair of black-booted feet blocked his way. "You'll...never...make it out of here...alive..."

The two Sith above him simply grinned. The one with the orange blade ended Higgins' life.

* * *

Myk sat at the viewport, watching the activity of space around them. Arie was asleep and resting peacefully, but Myk couldn’t. He lit up a cigarette and made sure the ventilation system was on. Something wasn’t quite right in the back of his mind, but he couldn’t get any kind of definite read. It was actually quite frustrating.

 _Hey,_ Arie called from the bed. _Nerfherder, what do you think you're doing?_

 _Just thinking, babe,_ Myk replied as he finished the t’bac.

Arie slid out of bed with the sheet draped around her. _About what?_ She asked as she plopped down in Myk’s lap with a glass of Corellian ale.

Myk smiled as he took a sip of the ale. _Don’t worry about it_ , Myk answered. _It’s probably nothing._

* * *

“Hey, I heard a good joke over the weekend,” said Sven.

“Oh yeah, what’s that?” Marcus asked as he adjusted his guard stance just outside the command quarters.

“Okay, two Bothans and a Rodian walk into a cantina,” Sven began. “The bartender looks at them and says, ‘Hey, what is this, some kind of joke?’”

Silence answered.

"Oh c’mon, Marcus. It wasn’t that...” Sven’s last words were cut off as a green blade sliced through his vocal cords along with the rest of his neck.

* * *

Myk paced just in front of the entrance to the suite he and Arie shared. Something was wrong, he could almost taste it, but he couldn’t pick anything up through the Force and there were no alarms. It was just a bad feeling. He just couldn’t shake it. He had his sleep pants on and nothing else, but his lightsaber rested uneasily in his hand. He could sense Arie waking again, and could sense a flash of worry from her when she found he wasn’t in bed.

 _I’m in here, babe,_ Myk called as he leaned back against the door to the suite.

 _Myk, what are you doing?_ Arie asked, a little worried.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Myk sighed. “I can't sleep. It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.”

“Oh it’s something all right,” Arie replied, folding her arms across her chest. “What’s wrong?”

“It's just a bad feeling is all,” Myk replied. “I’m getting nothing through the Force and there haven’t been any alarms...maybe I'm just...OH KRIF!” Myk shouted those last two words as he dove forward and away from the door. He took Arie down with him behind the sofa as the door to their suite blew inward in a fairly good-sized explosion.

“What the _Krif_?” Arie swore. “My blade is in the bedroom!”

“I know!” Myk shouted as he thumbed his own to life. “Stay here, and don’t move.”

With those last words, Myk vaulted over the back of the sofa and caught an orange blade on his silver. He parried the orange blade down and into the low table in front of the sofa before thrusting his blade behind him to catch a sweep from a green blade. Rotating his wrist and stepping back, he put the two assailants in front of him. They leered at the Rogue before making their move.

Orange feinted high right as Green came in low. Myk swept his silver blade in a low parry and riposted into Green’s left eye socket. The eye boiled and burst and evaporated in an instant along with everything else inside Green’s head. Orange took advantage of Myk's blade being out of the way for a moment and lunged. Myk backpedaled as fast as he could and was only grazed by the energy blade scything through the air in front of him. Myk grabbed Orange by the wrist with his left hand and slammed his right fist in the Sith's temple. The Sith was dazed for a second, but rolled with the blow and resumed an en guard position.

“Who the _krif_ are you?” Myk asked as the two warriors squared off. “ _Who sent you?_ ”

“I am no one,” the Sith answered. “And, I am everyone. I was sent by the Force, and to her I return.” The Sith collapsed on the floor and when Myk placed his fingers to the Sith's throat he could not find a pulse.

“Mistral Kill Serum,” Myk explained as Arie came out from behind the couch and looked at the dead Sith before her. “They put the stuff in a false tooth and then when they want to kill themselves to keep the enemy from learning anything they break the tooth swallow the poison and die instantly. It’s odorless, colorless, tasteless...the stuff doesn’t show up on infrared or medical scans. I only know what it is because I’ve seen it before and know what to look for. The real question here though, is how he came across it. And, who he’s working for.”

“I’ll get Intel on it, immediately,” Arie said as she rushed to the comm station. “The line’s dead...”

“Figures,” Myk sighed as he stood up. “I think these two were the only ones on board, but we’re going to want a ship-wide search running anyway. Whoever they are, they’re well trained and well-funded. Mistral don’t usually sell their secrets.”

“Intel will never discover who these two are,” Arie sighed. “As much as I love them, they’re just not cracked out for hunting down Sith. You said the poison was Mistral?”

“No, the Mistral make the poison,” Myk explained as he began to dress. “They’re a warrior society that was thought extinct until that Thrawn scare all those years ago. They surfaced again while that con-artist, Flim, was posing as Thrawn.”

“Where do we find them?” Arie asked as she donned a form-fitting flightsuit.

“We don’t,” Myk replied. “They don’t have a home planet. And, they very much like their privacy. No, we’re going to need to call in a favor on this one, babe. We need to get in touch with Steffan. We need to speak to Talon Karrde.”

* * *

“Master,” The young one knelt before him. “The units following the Conduit and the Phoenix have been killed.”

“Did the enemy get any information out of them?”

“No, milord. Ar’Karri ended his own life before they could.”

“It is sad to have lost two fine soldiers, but that is the price of war, young one,” The Master said. “For now, we shall leave the Conduit and the Phoenix alone. It is enough that they know someone is watching them...for now.”

“Aye, milord,” The young one answered. “And the Fallen One?”

“The orders remain the same,” The Master spoke. “As long as they are focused on finding him, they are not focused on us. Which gives us all the more time to prepare. You’ve done well, young one. Return to your training. Grow strong in the Force with your brothers and sisters.”

“As you will it, Milord.”


	3. Chapter 3

As Myk had expected, they found nothing. The ship was searched from stem to stern, and nothing was found that implicated the means with which the two Sith had entered. Their path was marked by death; six guards and the crew of the security station comm center were dead or injured. As he ran through the events in his head, Myk had to admit that these two Sith were good. Very good.

“How’s the _Bird_?” Arie called.

Myk was atop the _Firebird_ doing some repair work to ease his mind. “She’s doing okay, she’s still running a little sluggish and I’ve only got the shields up to one hundred seventy percent, but a little more time is all she needs.”

“Good,” Arie said as she climbed her way up. “Intel hasn’t found anything more on the Sith that snuck aboard, but they have found a nest of Bothan and Rodian ships just on the other side of Endor. They need to be taken out or forced to surrender and we’ll be leading a few squads to do just that.”

“Sounds like fun,” Myk grinned as he pulled Arie the rest of way on top of the _Firebird_. “When do we leave?”

“Well, they appear content to just sit and wait so we’ll give them a day to contemplate surrender,” Arie replied. “If we don’t hear from them by Oh-Six-Hundred tomorrow, we head out.”

“So we get another night in that suite of yours?” Myk asked playfully.

“Maybe this time, we won’t get interrupted,” Arie nodded coyly.

* * *

**Cataan**

Ryneas came down the stone steps into the training circle below their home. The lights were dimmed, but he could see his father meditating in the center of the circle. He approached quietly, cautiously, as he had been taught by Steffan. When he was in front of him, he knelt down and waited for his father.

"What is it, Ryneas?" Steffan finally asked as he kept his eyes closed and his senses outstretched.

"A message from Coruscant," his son said as he got up. "Master Dinn asked to speak with you in the morning."

Steffan nodded softly as Ryneas walked back up the stairs. He wasn't far behind him, walking into the kitchen to help Jade out. Andrea and Dilan were out, enjoying their time with Kara and Edward together. Ryneas had been tending to his studies and Catharine was playing with a few items on the kitchen floor with Jade watching her as she was preparing a few items for a luncheon when everyone else came home.

"There's been some news," she told him with a soft smile. "Andrea told me this morning."

"Edward?" Steffan asked, and Jade simply nodded her head to answer him.

"He has asked....."

"And Andrea?"

"Oh, you should have known the answer to that, Master Jedi," Jade teasingly told him. "She said 'yes'."

* * *

Arie walked the corridors of her ship alone, her hand silently trailing on the cold durasteel walls behind her as she silently thought to herself about the Sith that had penetrated the most secure ship in her fleet...Her boots clicked on the steel-plated floor and echoed in the hall.

 _Strange that Myk-Ron and I couldn’t sense our attackers until they were upon us. They’ve learned a new trick, and that worries me,_ Arie thought to herself. She heard another set of boots clicking on the decksole behind her and she stopped in her tracks until the sound was almost upon her.

She recognized the faint Force signature as the only officer on her ship to have a slight affinity to Force sensitivity whatsoever and had never pursued training...her military advisor, Major Brent Maxell.

"General, begging your pardon, but I believe you are needed on the bridge. The Bothans have surrendered," he said quietly.

"As I knew they would," Arie said, turning to face her advisor and smiling darkly at him. She accompanied him to the bridge to receive the formal transmission of surrender.

* * *

She examined the bodies again, a pale blue tint to the skin, a deep coldness to the touch...

"Unclothe them, Captain. I want to inspect the rest of their bodies," Arie asked, a dark stern look upon her face as she watched her ship's medical examiner remove the outer robes and the tunics of the two Sith her husband had killed the day before.

She stepped closer to the examination tables and looked the dead Sith over with a careful eye. Her fingers moved to the cauterized wounds where Myk-Ron had landed blows to the Sith in the duel...and then to a familiar tattoo on each Sith's left forearm.

"Their death was not a result of those wounds, General. I am unable to explain their deaths," Captain Remy, the medical examiner, said as he scratched his head in curiosity.

"They died from Mistral Serum, not from a lightsaber," Arie replied.

"Blood tests, cellular biopsies, and a full medical examination did not detect any poison..." Remy began.

"Nor would they. Run a midichlorian test. I believe you will find the poison clinging to each. You have the equipment aboard?" Arie asked, fingering the tattoo again.

"Aye, General. I will contact you immediately once I have the results," Remy answered as Arie nodded and left the ship's mortuary. Major Maxell was waiting for her outside. He joined her in stride down the corridor.

"Find anything?" He asked quietly.

"Yes. We have a much bigger problem on our hands," Arie answered.

"Can I be of service?" Maxell asked.

"Yes, on a secure frequency, contact my husband and tell him to be cautious of his rendezvous point. His guest is not the worry, but rather who may be following them," Arie answered, knowing that her husband had left earlier that morning to meet with Talon Karrde, an arrangement Steffan Karrde had managed to pull off somehow.

"Anything else?" Maxell asked as they entered the turbo-lift for the bridge.

"Yes. Pull all records of the Guildsmen....those Sith were trained in the Guild's art of fighting and direct-action techniques...they were branded with the Guilds' tattoo...we are going to have a much harder time dealing with the Sith if they were trained in the art of stealth attacks," Arie answered.

"Aye...not only are they Sith, powerful in the Force but now trained by the Guild....that would be..." Maxell began.

"...a deadly combination." Arie finished as she entered the bridge to receive the Bothan representatives and the Bothan Fleet Commander to sign the peace treaty and surrender forms.

* * *

**Cataan**

"Good news or bad news?" Steffan asked from his study.

 _"Both, brother,"_ Arie told him from _Thorus Sounder._ _"Good news is that the Bothans have agreed for a full formal surrender. Bad news is, I think the Sith have decided to make a different alliance."_

"Myk was thinking that things might not end with Bane," Steffan said in a somber tone as he sat down. "Who do you suspect?"

 _"I don't suspect anyone, Steffan. Have a look at these."_ And the image shifted from Arie to two holos of a tattooed forearm. It was an image Steffan immediately recognized, because it was Cataani. _The mark of the Guild...._

 _"Where did you find those?"_ he asked now, an edge in his voice.

 _"Two Sith that infiltrated the Thorus Sounder the other night before Myk commed you,"_ Arie told him. _"Steffan, if they're learning these skills from members of the Guild or the Sith training the Guild's force-sensitive members...."_

"I understand where you're going," Steffan said to finish her sentence. It was something the Guild had tried to do before and failed, but the Sith were obviously accomplishing the same thing for them...in what could only be called an unholy alliance. "How much longer will you remain on Endor?"

_"I don't know just yet. You know Admiral DeSoto has released all but two Cataani battlegroups to return home for refit and repair before going back out to their assigned guard areas."_

"Aye...I've been keeping up. There's been a lot happening here...both on the family level as well as galactic..."

_"Andrea?"_

"She's been asked to marry, yes," Steffan said with a father's smile. "I'll tell you about it later."

* * *

The laughter was a wicked thing that echoed throughout the halls of the grand corridor. Kneeling respectfully before his Master, the Sith acolyte looked up. "What amuses you, milord?"

"The Jedi," The Master replied between laughs. "They're so predictably trusting. Ar'Karri and his brother were once Cataani Guildsmen, and now the Jedi think we've joined forces with that pathetic little group of assassins."

"That is good, isn't it, milord?"

"Oh, it's more than that, acolyte," The Master chuckled. "It's _brilliant_. The Jedi will waste all their time chasing down the Guild, and for nothing! It couldn't be any more perfect. They will find the Guild, fight them, possibly die trying, and then find out that they have no connection to us. We will have the time we need to build our army, and then some. Yes, acolyte, this is good. This is very good."

* * *

Quite literally in the middle of nowhere, he waited. Through Steffan, he had contacted Talon, and through Steffan, he had received the coordinates for this place. The Wild Karrde should be here any minute.

Myk smiled a bit at the lone dreadnaught sitting, for all intents and purposes, dead in space about five klicks to his port. Years ago, many would have killed for these coordinates. The location of the famed Katana Fleet.

There was a flicker of pseudo-motion and the _Wild Karrde_ winked into existence.

 _"This is freighter Happy Chance hailing freighter Smuggler's Luck,"_ Came the call over the comm. _"Do you have the conduits I ordered, unbroken?"_

"Yes, your excellency," Myk said the code for all green. "Unbroken and undamaged."

 _"Good,"_ The comm crackled. _"Remain where you are, we'll dock with you and then do the transfer. Standby."_

The whole process ran smoothly and within fifteen minutes, Myk-Ron Dinn sat across from Talon Karrde in the man's office aboard his ship.

"We can speak freely in here, right?" Myk asked as he propped his feet up on Talon's desk.

"Yes, of course," Talon answered. "The more you say, the more I know about you."

"Cute," Myk replied, dropping his feet to the floor. "Let's just cut to the chase here."

"By all means," Talon said calmly as he poured himself a glass of wine. He offered a glass to Myk, but the Rogue shook his head.

"Two days ago, a couple of Sith managed to sneak aboard the _Thorus Sounder_ and they made it all the way to the suite Arie and I were staying in."

"Most impressive," Karrde commented. "That's your wife's flagship. It couldn't have been an easy feat."

"I killed one, and the other committed suicide," Myk continued.

"Not entirely surprising," Talon interrupted. "Many branches of the military all over the galaxy drill into their soldiers 'death before betrayal.' He killed himself to keep you from learning anything from him."

"I know that, Karrde," Myk said pointedly. "This isn’t my first shockball game, you know. What I wanted to talk to you about was the means with which he killed himself."

"And that would be?"

"Mistral Kill Serum," Myk said. "Hidden in a false..."

"Tooth," Karrde leaned back in his seat and the lines about his eyes hardened in thought. "Are you sure?"

"Without a doubt," Myk answered. "Do the Mistral still have a homeworld? I thought they'd pretty much disbanded."

"No," Talon replied, shaking his head. "They have. Before Shadda died, she had received word that all ‘sisters’ were free to go about their lives as they saw fit. The Mistral disbanded, and that was that."

"That's what I figured," Myk sighed. "I was hoping you could put some feelers out for me. Find out if there's a group of retired Mistral gone missing. Anything. I've got a feeling that something big is brewing somewhere in the galaxy, and information is key. It also happens to be your specialty."

"And my stock in trade," Karrde grinned, all business. "Information still has a price, and my men don't work for cheap."

"You remember the credit line you had with the Republic military? The one you had Ghent set up all those years ago?"

"How did you...?"

"Open it again," Myk cut off the old pirate with a smile. "I'll be depositing your payment when I get some information. Until then, happy hunting."

* * *

"Do not rely on this Force of yours," The Mistral instructor called above the sounds of training. "It is a crutch! If you can survive without it, you will only become stronger!"

Recruits were arriving each day from across the galaxy and from many of the different factions of Sith scattered about. Many of Bane's followers were the first to join, but slowly others began to arrive as well. Disciples of Ragnos came and shared their experience with the rest. Wizened Reborn Jedi shared their knowledge. Even a few of Darth Taiko's clones showed up. How they had survived was anyone's guess. The Sith were beginning to unite, and the ones that didn't would serve the Master's purpose by being a distraction for the Jedi.

Everything was going according to plan. When the time came, the Jedi would not know what hit them.

* * *

"Learn anything?" Arie asked as Myk came down the boarding ramp of the _Firebird_.

"Yeah," Myk sighed. "I learned that we need to learn how to wait. Talon's got the best information out there, and even he'll be hard-pressed to get to the bottom of this one. Did you have any luck?"

"They're guildsmen," Arie nodded.

"You're sure?"

"They had the tattoos on their arms, and they were apparently trained as assassins," Arie replied. "You have doubts?"

"Well, just a question, really," Myk shrugged. "What if these two were just guildsmen who became Sith? Or Sith who just happened to be guildsmen? Not everything is a conspiracy, babe. Sometimes coincidence is just that."

"Either way," Arie said as they made their way to their suite aboard the Thorus Sounder. "It's something worth looking into. I'll have Intel on it in the morning. I think you're right that this will take some time."

"I know it will," Myk sighed. "I have a feeling that when whatever is going to happen happens, we'll all know it."

* * *

_In the shadowy fog of the Crystal Mists another Sith Lord is born..._

* * *

**Coruscant**

Callista spoke to the Master Healer that evening. The healer listened as she spoke of her experiences on Rhen Var and Cataan. She explained her study and application of advanced healing techniques while she cared for her fellow Jedi on Cataan, and how she had become completely immersed in the Force. She wasn't even aware of consciously healing anyone, she had been in complete harmony with the Force and it had just happened.

She stood before the Council, not without a bit of nervousness. Being called before the Council was a solemn occasion. The council questioned her extensively on her actions during the conflict on Rhen Var. After speaking with her for a couple hours they sent her to her quarters so they could discuss the events among themselves. She caught Xan’s eye, and the Mando threw her a conspiratorial wink. The Master healer would summon her when the council had reached it decision.

Unbeknownst to Callista, the Council had contacted Steffan Karrde on Cataan. They also summoned all the Jedi that she had worked with while on Rhen Var.

In an hour, the chime to her door sounded and Callista rose, straightened her robes and set out.

As she approached the Council chamber, she noticed many familiar faces. The doors to the council chamber opened, and she entered quietly. She knelt on the cool floor, calming her mind in preparation for what was to come.

"Rise Jedi Gseran," a familiar voice called out. She looked up in surprise and met the dancing eyes of the spirit of her former master, Mark Faulkner. He continued, "This council has considered your actions in the recent conflict and the depth of your connection to the Force. In recognition of your deep and continuous devotion to the ways of the Jedi and that of a Healer, this council recognizes you as a Jedi Master..."

Callista didn't really hear the rest; she was surrounded by her fellow Jedi as they congratulated her...

* * *

"This way, sirs," Maxell said, leading two high-classed gentlemen to the formal officer's club dining section in which Arie and Myk-Ron were seated, enjoying a quiet dinner.

Arie looked up from her glass of wine and a smile grew across her face as Maxell showed the two guests to Arie's table. "Charles! Erik! How good of you to come! Please, have a seat," Arie said, rising to her feet and offering the two men seats at the table.

Charles gave a low bow and gently took Arie's hand in his and kissed the back of her hand. Erik also bowed deeply, favoring her with a gentleman's smile.

"My lady, the years have been kind to you, for you look more beautiful every day." Charles complimented her before releasing her hand. Arie smiled, blushing.

"Forgive me, this is my husband, Colonel Myk-Ron Dinn," Arie began, embarrassed she had forgotten her duties of introductions.

"Scoundrel, rogue Jedi Master, former smuggler…you know, Corellian," Myk finished, shaking both the men's hands as they took their seats at the table.

Arie gave him a look and then continued. "Myk-Ron, this is Erik and Charles Isbill, my late second husband's brothers and closest military advisors from Corellia," Arie introduced the men.

"Nice to meet ya," Myk-Ron responded. Both Erik and Charles nodded to Myk-Ron's reply.

"Please, let me have the staff bring you a drink and a plate...what brings you this far out in the system? It must have taken you a while to track me down," Arie said, reseating herself and smoothing the satin red dress she wore.

"As a matter of fact, it did, General," Charles began. He was the middle child, whereas Erik was the youngest and Travis, Arie's late husband had been the oldest child of Senator Branan Isbill.

"Please, you are still family, no need for formalities," Arie blushed at her brothers-in-law.

"Arie, we hate to interrupt Bothan negotiations and peace treaties..." Erik began, but Arie cut him off.

"I know why you are here," Arie smiled. "Corellia is ready to jump on the newly acquired Republic territories of Bothwui, isn't it? Your father's ties in the royal house have you come all the way out here to put Corellia's bid in for Bothwui?" Arie asked, grinning.

Charles and Erik's faces remained stone cold. Arie's smile slowly faded.

"Actually, we are here about father..." Erik said.

"His Lordship has passed on from this life," Charles finished, solemn.

"You can't be serious. Senator Isbill is dead?" Arie asked in disbelief.

"I'm afraid I am....he passed in his sleep just four days ago. His last will and testimony requested you be present at the funeral and that we give you this," Charles said, handing Arie a sealed mahogany case.

"What is it?" Arie asked.

"We do not know other than he specifically said it had to be put in your hands and no one else’s," Erik replied.

Arie opened the box and found paper scrolls that looked as if they had not been read in several years. Arie gently opened one and began reading it.

"What's it say, love?" Myk asked, curious.

"Senator Isbill has named Charles his heir as Senator, Erik as Head of CorSec, and has left the twins his entire estate on Corellia. And it looks here as if he has left orders for Erik to make ready a CorSec fleet whenever I shall need it. He has allied the office of CorSec directly under my office of Galactic Defense," Arie read, slightly confused.

"Well you always knew the Corellians were up for a good fight," Myk-Ron said. “But the Corellia I knew and loved would bristle at the thought of being under anyone’s control. We Corellians like our freedom.”

Charles and Erik looked as though they really wanted to agree with Myk-Ron, but wouldn’t bring themselves to say so out loud. Yup, Myk thought. There’s that Corellian pride. I wonder what their old man was thinking…

"...he has also left me his documents and access to his private safe on Coruscant," Arie read further.

"You will accompany us to the funeral in Coronet?" Erik asked, rising from his seat. His brother, Charles, did likewise.

"Of course. Myk-Ron and I will depart in the morning if you can wait that long," Arie replied, rising to her feet.

"It will keep. See you in the morning, milady," Charles said, bowing once more as he and his brother exited the dining quarters of Arie's flagship.

"That was quite strange," Myk-Ron commented lightly, taking a sip of his ale.

Arie sat back down in her chair, watching the two men leave, stunned in silence.

"I would have never expected that," Arie said more to herself than her husband.

"He was old, Arie. People die," Myk replied casually.

"But now there will be civil unrest in the Senate. Senator Isbill was remarkable at maintaining the peace within the Senate. He had a way with words, and with people...I shall miss him," Arie sighed softly.

* * *

**Five days later**

Arie and Myk-Ron returned to their apartment on Coruscant from Corellia and the Senator's funeral procession, saddened by the great man's death. It had been nearly a month and a half since they had set foot on Coruscant and Arie sighed in relief as she entered her home.

Walking into the kitchen darkness, the lights sensed her presence and flickered on, illuminating the kitchen and dining table. A small sparkle caught Arie's eye and she picked up a small golden band...a wedding band she recognized as the one she had given her former student for his wedding...

 _Ainar_... Arie silently thought as she fingered the ring gently, looking it over and then clutching it to her heart, knowing Ainar was out there somewhere, walking his own path in life...she missed him, but knew he would be alright...

* * *

**One Year Later**

Having ended the Bothan-Endor Conflict with the Bothan's full surrender and no leads as to the Sith or Guildsmen attacks, the Jedi found the galaxy peaceful once more.

Xan and Callista had been researching the mysterious events from Rhen Var for nearly the entire time. As Masters both, they led a small team of what Myk often referred to as Jedi Detectives. Upon last contact, they were heading into Mando space.

Steffan had not yet given up his search for Ainar, but the trail had long grown cold. Aside from that, the Jedi had his hands full in building his new Jedi praxeum.

As for Myk-Ron, the Rogue had decided to remain a Colonel. Military life suited him, and he was soon training new pilots for the NR military. Officially, that was his “job.” Unofficially, the military kept him on the payroll as a kind of advisor. Missions were few and far between, but enough to keep him happy and still have the free time he and Arie desperately needed.

* * *

Arie awoke in her bed only to find her husband not there. She slipped out of bed, her satin gray nightgown flowing with her light movements across the floor of her Livdian house.

She spotted her husband from the balcony. He was down in the hangar working on his ship again.

 _There you are,_ Arie sent to her husband, smiling. He looked up from the _Firebird_ and saw her standing on the balcony, smiling at him.

 _Where else would I be, love?_ He asked. Arie shook her head and smiled.

 _Breakfast will be ready soon,_ Arie sent back, running her hand over her abdomen lightly. She was almost a month pregnant. The tiny presence in her stomach radiated a lightness in the Force that Arie had never experienced before. _Hello, little one, she sent the child growing within her. I love you!_

* * *

"Excellent," Steffan said as he and Ryneas went through a sparring match...and his son had just taken advantage of a few moves that Steffan didn't remember teaching him and had almost caught him. They kept moving through the katas and sparring around the grotto away from the house.

Steffan couldn't believe that Ryneas was already getting close to being 16...it only felt like yesterday that he was carrying him around. And here he was, going through extra preparation for when it was his turn to take the Trials to be a Jedi Knight.

Dilan had requested the High Council for a reassignment of his duties as a watchman. The Council agreed and granted him their “okay” for him to assist the Jedi tasked to Commenor. It let him be closer to Kara and the two of them were starting to become quite close in the year that they'd known each other. And, for once in her life, Kara actually knew some happiness that she claimed her sister could never understand.

 _And, Andrea..._ There had been some of Cataan's nobility that questioned Edward's choice of Andrea to marry, being that he had made the choice to continue the family line and succeed his father while Andrea had made her choice years earlier to the Jedi Order.

But Jameson DeGarma had let be known that he fully approved and was proud of the choice that his son had made. He had known and had come to respect Steffan Karrde ever since they had been young, and he thought it a grand honor for their two houses to be joined together in this way. No one disputed or challenged him.

No one challenged Steffan Karrde on this matter, either. Jameson was known for his prowess with a blade as well as being the monarch, but it was Steffan that was highly regarded among Cataan's best swordsmen as well a high member of the Jedi Order.

And in his heart, Steffan did not care about any sort of political concerns. He only wanted his little Andrea...he would always think of her as his little girl...to have a happy life. And if she was happy in her life with Edward, then Steffan was proud and happy.

* * *

The ceremony took place on the shores of Andrea's home province, where they had first met. It had been their request since they had not wanted anything grandiose. Dress had been simple and Steffan was glad that he could walk Andrea down the aisle. Everyone had been able to make it...and even Myk had behaved himself. And that was only because Steffan had threatened to haul him into the training circle and put his knowledge of the Seventh combat form to the final test.

Steffan had held his wife's hand as the priestess had told of tradition and how she wished Andrea and Edward both well. The two had exchanged their vows and the reception was held in Steffan's garden, which he had put some more work into cultivating in the time after Rhen Var.

But even with Ryneas and Catharine there, the house was starting to feel empty. But Jade had teasingly told him there would be new children in the house later on. And the thought of grandchildren had brought a big smile to his face as he and Ryneas had gone through their exercises.

"Excellent form," he told Ryneas as the finished with the days lessons. "Very well done."

Things were right as they left the circle to join Catharine and Jade.

* * *

**Barab I**

Ainar looked at the stars above him and thought about the year that had passed...it was now almost a year since he set foot on Barab and since then he had mostly kept to himself, meditating and trying to sort things out.

_I miss you, my love..._

He thought about his late wife every day, he saw her smile and it brought him to tears every time. He missed her, and he missed his friends...

But he dared not face them...he wasn't ready.

He had turned his back on his life as a Jedi when he fell to the dark side and almost killed his best and closest friend. He wasn't a Jedi Master any longer, he was alone. For a long time after settling down in Alater-ka he had tried to live a normal life, without the Force. He had witnessed robberies, murders, fights and hardship and done nothing...but turn his back and walk away.

The Barabel race worshiped the Jedi and after a few months, Ainar had to reveal his identity when saving a Barabel child from falling down a cliff...

The Barabel were quick to thank him and named him 'The guardian of Barab'. Ainar didn't feel like a guardian, and not like a Jedi, but he felt a little better knowing that his powers had saved the life of a child...after all the killing he had done, there was still something alive inside of him. Still some spark that worshiped life.

After that incident, the Barabel had led him to the 'Neutral Jedi Zone', a large cave, hundreds of meters long and wide. It serves as a world court and a place for Jedi to stay and rest, and arbitrate disputes if needed.

He remembered that day very well when he was first brought to this place. Now, Ainar doubted even his friends would recognize him...the former Jedi had a full-grown beard, covering his face, his hair long and uncut and his robes dirty and torn.

But this was of no concern, material needs didn't matter to him. He wasn't the same man that had spent his life as a guardian of peace and justice...he was a loner, 'a lowlife' or even 'bum' to those non-Barabel living in Alater-ka.

He had sworn the Barabel clans to secrecy about his identity, and they respected his wishes, even though they argued many times that revealing his status as a Jedi might change the public's opinion on him. But he didn't care, he wanted to be alone and the citizens of Alater-ka kept their distance...which was fine.

He also couldn't take the chance that the word might reach someone he knew or someone that knew of him...

He still had nightmares about Kate's death and his battle with Steffan...

But he needed to work things out. After moving to the cave he had started meditating again, he tried to make peace with himself, but so far...he was a murderer, a traitor. And, he couldn't face his friends after what he did.

He knew life had moved on for his friends, the HoloNet had been swarming with news of Andrea's and Edward's marriage, he had even seen a news report on Ter-Lon...it startled Ainar that the young boy, who Ainar had raised like his own, was a grown man, and reminded him much of Kevin.

Indeed life had changed, and he was sure most of his friends had forgotten all about him by now. Ainar looked at the stars once more and thought about his old life.

* * *

In a stance that, at a glance, would appear ridiculous, Myk-Ron waited. His left hand nearly touched the deck while his right was cocked way back behind him. His feet were spread wide apart as if he were stretching and his head hung loosely on his shoulders. The remotes, all twenty of them, randomized their cycles and he could feel a few of them beginning to build a charge. But he didn't focus on any of them.

His mind was far from what he was doing. His mind, for all intents and purposes, wasn't even there. He thought of nothing. He kept himself as a completely blank slate. He twitched his right hand a micron to the left and caught one of the stingers.

_He wasn't even there._

Diving forward and rolling mid-air onto his back, he swept his silver blade around in a wavy arc catching seven more darts. His back hit and he rolled to his feet, dodging three darts in the process and batting away three more.

His mind was empty.

He was flowing backward when he stopped abruptly and stood stone still. Ten stingers flew by his frozen body to impact on the wall behind him. In an instant, he was moving again.

Time did not exist. Nothing did outside this cargo hold.

 _"Honey!"_ Arie called over the intercom aboard the Firebird. _"We're almost there. Fifteen minutes to reversion!"_

His concentration broke. " _Shassa!_ " Myk cursed as he snapped out of it and was pelted by a dozen stingers. "HOLD!" He called, and the remotes all flew back to their storage compartments.

Arie turned two minutes later as Myk stumbled into the cockpit rubbing a few angry red marks on his shoulders and back. “Did I interrupt something?” She asked with a laugh.

“What in space gave you that idea?” Myk sarcastically replied.

“Oh quit being such a baby,” Arie mocked. “We’re nearly there and I thought you’d want to...”

Suddenly, the ship lurched out of hyperspace, jarring Arie out of her seat and causing Myk to hit his head on the forward console. Shaking away the dizziness, Myk slapped the levers forward, killing the hyperdrive. In that same instant, his danger sense flared and he threw the _Firebird_ into a twisting portside barrel roll.

Four fighters buzzed by on his forward viewscreen bearing strange markings. The craft themselves didn’t even register in the ship’s FOF registry. The design looked relatively familiar, and yet they were like nothing Myk-Ron had ever seen before. Within those first few heartbeats, however, he decided they were rather deadly little things.

“Arie,” Myk said as he twisted his ship through more evasive maneuvers. “Are you okay, babe?”

“For now,” Came a sarcastic reply. “You keep flying like this and you’ll get us both killed.”

“Watch it, sweetheart,” Myk bit back with a bit of a grin. “I don’t need a critic right now. I need a gunner.”

“You’ve got one,” Arie replied from the cockpit hatch. “Which one do you want me in?”

“Dorsal,” Myk answered. “It’s better protected up there.”

Arie was down the hall without another word. Myk gave her ten seconds, then snapped the ship over to port before half-looping and pulling out through a drunkard’s stumble.

 _“Now that’s my man!”_ Arie called over the shipboard comm.

“Glad you’re having fun, Princess,” Myk replied as he cut the engines and flipped over in a smuggler’s reverse. He kicked them back to full and shot through the center of the four ships that were on his tail. The shields were holding, but those fighters were slowly starting to nick away at them. “I’ll try to get one in the money lane, but they’re not going to make it easy. The quad’s fully charged so take whatever shots you get.”

 _“Aye, captain!”_ The _whump-whump_ of the dorsal quad came right after her words.

Myk’s eyes searched space for the device that had ended their trip prematurely. Rolling starboard out of an insanely tight loop, he caught sight of the skeleton of an old Interdictor Cruiser. The giant spherical gravity well generators hung in space attached to the latticework and nothing else of the old Imperial trap-ship. How they were running was anyone’s guess, but Myk knew he’d have to take them out if they were going to jump out of the situation they’d been pulled into.

There was a flash of light off to his port and a bit dorsal followed by a _“Whoo hoo!”_ in his headset comm.

“Good shooting, babe!” Myk grinned. He cycled through the possible targets on his HUD until his reticule centered on the gravity generator that had sucked them out of hyperspace. That was when he realized that only one of them was actually working...

He wanted to stop and think, but the laserfire peppering his underside prevented that. He snapped over on his side and switched cockpit weaponry over to torpedoes. His cross-hairs went from green to red in rapid succession and he squeezed the trigger, sending two purple-white streaks toward the offending generator.

He snapped through another loop, keeping an eye on the proton torpedoes. There was the flash of an explosion, but the gravity well was still reading strong. “...did I miss?” Myk asked aloud.

 _“No, babe,”_ Arie replied over the comm. _“One of those fighters flew in front of your shot...these guys are good, Myk.”_

The only sounds that followed were the screams of engines and the peals of laserfire as Myk wove and danced in a deadly game of hit and miss.

“Honey,” Myk said, wiping sweat from his brow. “We’ve got to end this...now.”

 _“What do you need?”_ Came Arie’s solemn reply.

“You as a copilot,” Myk answered. “The quad’s drained anyway, and I have an idea. I’ll give you fifteen seconds of level flight.” Myk straightened out the _Firebird_ and switched his deflectors to full aft. They were still holding, but just barely.

“Orders, Captain?” Arie said as she slid into the copilot’s chair.

“First, get the holocorder running,” Myk said as he switched back to an even spread with his shields and whipped the _Bird_ around in a tight starboard arc. “We’re gonna need some holos if we ever want to figure out what these things are. Then...take the helm...”

Arie flipped the switches for the holocorder then turned in surprise. “What?” She asked, shock evident in her voice. “You’ve never...”

“I know,” Myk cut her off. “I know. But, for this idea to work, I need you piloting.”

“What’s the plan?”

“I’m heading aft,” Myk explained. “I want you to fly relatively straight but juke it now and again. Let them think we’re getting tired. Let them get on our tail, and tight. Then, when I give you the signal, I need you to open the cargo bay loading ramp.”

There was a moment of relative silence.

“What are you going to do?” Arie asked cautiously. She had a bad feeling that her husband was going to pull yet another stunt only he’d be crazy enough to attempt.

“Hey,” Myk said as he caught the gist of her thought pattern. “It’s me.” He disappeared around the corner at a run to the cargo hold.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Arie sighed as she put herself to the task of flying the _Firebird_.

* * *

“ _I am insane,”_ Myk told himself as he latched shut the last seal on his cold-suit. Designed for fighter pilots in deep-space, the suit allowed for protection in the cold of space, but allowed a fair amount of maneuverability. Myk grasped his saber in one hand and swung it around loosely to gauge how much movement he actually had. _Perfect_.

He checked the seal around his helmet one last time and sighed. Where he got these ideas, even he didn’t know. He flipped a switch on the swoop sitting next to him, and the engines thrummed to life. He mounted the bike, aimed the steering veins for the cargo ramp, and called Arie on the comm. “ ** _Now!_** ”

* * *

Arie felt a slight vibration in the ship, but it was coming from the inside. Then she heard a familiar sound, but couldn’t quite place it. She was still trying to pinpoint the memory in her mind when she heard Myk say, “Now!” Without a thought she opened the cargo bay ramp.

The following roar and whine of a high-powered turbine kicked into her mind the memory she’d been searching for. She let out a stream of curses that would make a Hutt blush as the realization hit her. _The nerf herder went out the back on his swoop bike!_

* * *

 _Yep,_ Myk thought. _Definitely out of my kriffin’ mind._

Swoops, as a matter of practicality, were never designed for space travel. A series of repulsor coils hooked up to one big engine didn’t account for any kind of maneuvering in zero-g. But, with the first fighter in plain view and coming dead-on, maneuvering was the least of Myk’s worries.

Grasping the controls firmly with one hand, Myk placed his feet on the seat of his bike. He’d really have to time this right if he had any hope of surviving... _now_...He kicked with all of his might while holding onto the controls. The rear-end of the swoop kicked around and Myk goosed the throttle. Propulsion worked just fine.

The fighter that had been running dead on dove to avoid ramming into the large chunk of metal and engine now flying directly in front of it. Because Myk was holding on to his swoop for dear life he found that he was traveling much slower than the fighter, but in the same general direction. Much slower...but not so slow that what he had planned would kill him.

As the enemy fighter dove to avoid the swoop, Myk reached out a hand and caught one of the fighter’s wings. The force of it popped Myk’s shoulder out of place, but he held on anyway. Summoning everything he had in him to ignore the pain, he managed to pull himself towards the cockpit. There was no wind, and once he was “attached” to the ship there was nothing to pull him off. In the cold of space, he ignited his lightsaber and drove it into the enemy’s forward viewport. He carved a good-sized chunk out of the transparisteel and looked away as his opponent was sucked through a decimeter diameter hole by the violent decompression.

He made sure his saber was attached firmly to his belt, and then scrambled to the hatch above the cockpit. With a bit of fiddling, he managed to get it open and he climbed into the pilot’s seat. The controls were familiar, and yet he knew he’d never seen the configuration before. Getting his bearings, he flipped a few switches and steered the ship on an intercept course with the _Firebird._

The other fighter was still harassing her, and Myk burnt space to reach his wife and his ship. Glancing around, Myk found what he was sure was weapons control and put the fighter in his target box. He let loose and was surprised at the punch this strange ship had in its cannons.

He managed a glancing blow on the enemy fighter, and, realizing that he was now alone in the fight, the enemy jetted away beyond the gravity well and entered hyperspace.

“ _Myk-Ron Dinn!”_ Came an angry voice over his helmet comm. “If you ever do something like that again...”

“You’ll call me a nerf herder, and love me just the same,” Myk cut her off.

“ _I’ll kill you,”_ Arie corrected him.

“You’ll try.”

“ _Nerfherder!”_

“I love you too.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Cataan**

Steffan shielded his eyes from the sun and watched as the _Firebird_ and a strange new craft set down on the landing field just outside his home on Cataan.

Arie came down the ramp of the _Firebird_ and a man in a pilot’s cold suit climbed out of the hatch of the strange fighter. He leapt to the ground and removed the helmet, and Steffan saw his friend, Myk throw him a rogue smile.

“Hey, Steffan,” Arie greeted the Jedi with a hug.

“Hey, yourself,” Steffan replied, still looking oddly at Myk as the Rogue sauntered his way up to the two. “Do I even want to know?”

“Probably not, bud,” Myk answered. “Did you bring a speeder? We need to get back in touch with your cousin. He’ll have people that can look that thing over.”

“Myk, Intel could handle it,” Arie interjected. “We don’t need to contact Talon.”

“But he’ll have people I can trust, babe,” Myk replied. “Nobody outside the NR military knew where we were going, and yet these guys knew our route well enough to set up a grav well on one generator and put it right on our path.”

“Point taken,” Arie sighed. “Did you bring a speeder, Steffan?”

“No,” the Jedi replied with a half-smile. “But I did bring horses. Can you ride, Myk?”

“Believe it or not, yes,” Myk replied.

“Good,” Steffan nodded. “Just one more question before we set out.”

“What’s that?” Arie asked as they headed towards where the horses were tied up.

“Does trouble just go looking for you two?”

“Nope,” Myk grinned. “It pretty much knows where we are at all times.”

* * *

Ainar walked for what seemed hours, going nowhere, just walking.

His recent thinking about his old life had rattled him, and he was full of emotions he didn't want.

The temperature on Barab was not ideal for taking walks, but Ainar regulated his body temperature with the Force. He had become quite good in using the Force since he arrived, and soon found a way to continue his study of the Force without other's sensing his presence, it had taken him months to get this far, and he now understood why the Jedi Masters of the early era's didn't all wear lightsabers.

He had lost his saber back on Rhen Var and had thought about building a new one, but he decided not to follow that path, but study the Force itself.

Ainar reached a high peak and looked over the barren landscape. He was amazed that this planet could sustain such a variety of wildlife and intelligent life. He took a seat on the warm rock bed and closed his eyes.

That was when a slight tingling in the back of his neck awoke old reflexes and in the blink of an eye Ainar jumped up with all the speed he could manage and landed 5 feet away.

In front of him stood a man, dressed in black robes, and holding a lightsaber that was now halfway into the rock bed where he had just been.

Ainar's hand went for his lightsaber to find none. _Maybe I should have built one..._

"You will surrender...'Fallen one', you are defenseless," the black-robed man said, Ainar couldn't see under his hood.

_Fallen one?_

"And what if I refuse?" Ainar responded, looking around for possible weapons to aid him.

"Then I will take you by force, and bring you before my Master…'Fallen one'"

Ainar took a deep breath and looked the robed figure in the eyes. "And, stop calling me that.”

With a swift movement, Ainar sent a boulder flying for the Sith's face, but the robed figure turned in a fluid motion and cut the rock in two, deflecting it harmlessly. But, Ainar used the distraction and closed the gap between them. The Sith felt him coming and adjusted his grip on the lightsaber hilt so the blade was now pointing down and swung behind his back, right for Ainar's abdomen.

Ainar managed to grab the Sith by the arm and twisted until the Sith screamed in pain and let go of the lightsaber, but used the Force just as quickly and pulled the hilt right back to his other hand.

Ainar saw the hilt flying and tried to grab a hold of it but failed.

"Nice try, but you are out of practice...you can't take me on, surrender now! And I will make sure it will be less painful that way.

Ainar knew the Sith was right, he was out of practice...but, there was also the fear...of the kill, enjoying the kill…that held him back. He had come so far, he didn't want to lose it all again.

"So what is it?"

Ainar looked at him and smiled. "You know what, I may be out of lightsaber practice...but you, you haven't even begun to touch the kind of power that lies in the Force...young one."

Ainar knew that his comment had stung, he could feel the anger in the Sith as he raised his weapon and gave Ainar the opening he needed.

In a split second, the large boulders lining the hill next to them shot out, all at the same time as Ainar raced for the Sith.

He reached the man at the same time as a number of large rocks crashed into him, the Sith tried using the saber to cut down the boulders, but Ainar grabbed his arm and threw a punch at his ribs, which loosened his grip on the saber.

Ainar took a step backward, the Sith was down to one knee, nursing his head after the attack. He was covered in blood, but he didn't lack courage.

He stood back up, wiping the blood from his face and faced Ainar.

Ainar looked at the lightsaber hilt in his hand...it didn't feel right. He summoned up all the power he could and then threw the hilt down a large canyon.

He could feel the Sith's anger as his weapon was destroyed.

"You fool! Now you will die."

"Please, I've killed more henchmen than you can imagine" Ainar replied, grinning. He was feeling more and more like his old self.

But the Sith didn't give up, he raced straight for Ainar but ran face first into a wall as Ainar raised his hand and stopped the Sith's attack.

The Sith bounced off the invisible wall and Ainar could almost taste the anger coming from him.

"Go back to your master, and tell him I didn't feel like coming"

The Sith was boiling with rage, but turned around and ran away. "You can't stop what's coming!"

* * *

**Cataan**

Steffan's sense came alive as he, Arie and Myk had been riding from where _Firebird_ had landed. His horse, Sundancer, had reared back at the same time that Steffan had felt it.

Myk and Arie had felt it too, but their mounts hadn't acted in the way that Steffan's had....as if it was intended for him to find.

"Steffan," Arie said as she started to turn her horse towards her brother.

"It was Ainar," he said with complete and total certainty. "I know it was..."

"Hey now," Myk said as he closed up with Steffan. "Bud, you can't drop everything right this instant. There are things that need tending to first."

"I'm not a greenhorn," Steffan told Myk as he looked up to a section of the sky. "We've got to start seeing who set up your ambush." He just sat there in the saddle, shaking his head before looking back up and sighing. "I don't know if he's ready to be found yet... But if I had to venture a guess...."

"Don't guess yet," Arie told him softly. "Come on, let’s get to the house. I need to sit down."

"Sure thing," Steffan said as he turned Sundancer back on the path. "Just over the next hill. You know, I don't understand why you wanted to park out there instead of just setting down in the hanger."

"Ask him," Arie said as she jerked her thumb at Myk. "Maybe because of his new toy."

"Hmmm," Steffan said as they kept riding.

* * *

"Nice place," Myk said as they sat down in the dining room. Jade had prepared lunch and she enjoyed the extra company in the house. "Little big for my tastes."

Arie elbowed him and Steffan had cracked a smile. Even Catharine had laughed at Myk's reaction. Myk gave his usual sly smile as they finished their meal and Arie helped Jade clear away the dishes as Myk followed Steffan into his study.

"What are you thinking?" Myk asked him as Steffan pulled down one of the old books on his shelf.

"Your new toy," Steffan said as he started flipping through the pages. "I've seen that design before somewhere in one of these books, but I can't remember where. Something around the time of the Sith Empire...."

"That was thousands of years ago," Myk said as he sat down and looked around to the lightsabers that were displayed on one of the shelves and focused on one. It seemed familiar somehow...

"Ainar's lightsaber," Steffan told him as he followed his stare. "I'm holding it in safekeeping for him."

"Ya know, for all their talk about denying your emotions and detaching yourself from... well... _attachment_ , the Jedi have sure drilled into their pupils the emotion of hope," Myk thought out loud. "Just what is it you want Ainar to come back to? The Order? The Jedi? The 'light' side?"

"Myk..." Steffan sighed.

"I know, I know," Myk apologized. "Forget it. You were saying about 'my new toy'?"

"Right," Steffan replied as he began turning pages in his book. "If I can just find the spot...ah, there," He laid the book open on his desk and pointed out a still picture of the ship Myk had captured. "Shortly after the Mandalorian Wars, there was the Jedi Civil War. It was a war between Jedi and Sith, but the common man didn't know the difference between the two. To them, a Sith was just a Jedi who did bad things. Anyway, the Sith had a fleet with seemingly infinite resources and one of the craft in that fleet was this fighter. The description says, 'small, fast, agile, and powerful.' You flew the thing. Live up to the adjectives?"

"You could say that," Myk grinned. "But what in the Force would the thing be doing buzzing the _Firebird_? The Mandalorian Wars were over a thousand years ago. And, it wasn't just this one, Steffan, there were three more. On top of that, they all looked as good, if not better, than the one I brought back."

"It's definitely a question worth looking into," Steffan nodded as he crossed the study to the comm station. "Let's see if we can raise Talon."

There was the briefest of moments of silence before the comm crackled to life and the image of Talon Karrde floated above the desk. _“Greetings and Salutations...Gentlemen,”_ Karrde smiled. _“To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”_

“Lofty speech for one who has yet to track down those missing Mistral, Karrde,” Myk grinned at the man’s image and was rewarded with the slightest of twinges from Karrde. “You know it’s been nearly seven months.”

The flesh about his eyes tightened ever so slightly in what passed for frustration in the man. _“Yes, after tracking down several Mistral sisters, interrogating a few and coercing a few more, finding out that six Mistral Teachers had indeed gone missing, and getting the names of said Teachers...you’re right, I have yet to find them and bring them to you in a gift-wrapped box.”_

Myk laughed lightly. “Easy, Karrde, don’t get your shirt ruffled. I know you’re working on it, that’s why I keep paying you. The reason we’re calling is that we need to set up a meeting.”

“ _Oh?”_ Karrde leaned back and wore a feral grin. _“I do so love company. Just what shall this meeting be about, may I ask?”_

“Information, Karrde,” Myk replied. “What else? I’ve found something I’d like your crew to look at. We can talk more in person.”

“ _Where shall this rendezvous take place, Master Jedi?”_

“Meet me where you once held a Jedi captive,” Myk said. “In the room with the tree. I’ll be there in two weeks.”

“ _Clever,”_ Karrde replied. _“This had better be worth the trip, Myk-Ron Dinn. You are not my only client.”_

“No,” Myk agreed. “But I do pay well.”

“ _Indeed you do,”_ Karrde nodded. _“Which makes me wonder...”_

“Not so fast, Karrde,” Myk cut the information king off. “You of all people should know that information isn’t free.”

“ _Indeed,”_ Karrde gave the Rogue a mock salute. _“Well, as much as I would just love to stay and chat, I do have other clients to tend to. Myk-Ron. Cousin. Karrde out.”_

The transmission ended and Steffan shot Myk a quizzical look. “In the room with the tree at the place where he once held a Jedi captive?”

“Myrkr,” Myk answered. “Back when Thrawn was starting to cause trouble for the NR, Karrde, or rather, Mara happened upon Luke stranded in the middle of nowhere. The original idea was to use Skywalker as a bargaining chip. Long story short, Luke didn’t like that idea much. At the time, Karrde’s base of Ops was on Myrkr and his ‘office’ was a huge circular room with a tree growing up in the middle of it.”

“How do you know all this?” Steffan asked as the two headed out of the study and into the parlor.

“You forget, my friend,” Myk smiled. “I’m two lifeages older than I look and feel.” The Rogue shrugged his shoulders. “Luke told me about the whole ordeal over several cups of...what did he call it? Ah, Hot Chocolate.”

“Wow...”

“Nah,” Myk shrugged. “Hey, Arie told me you had a training facility somewhere around here. Care to give me a tour?”

“Shouldn’t you be prepping to leave?”

“Trip from here?” Myk replied. “It’ll take two days, tops. This was supposed to be a vacation, pal. Arie needs her rest more than she knows, and honestly, I’d like to just enjoy the downtime before I go racing around the galaxy again.”

“Well, in that case,” Steffan smiled. “Follow me. You’re going to love this...”

“Boys!” Myk and Steffan turned when they heard Arie calling from the kitchen. “Dinner’s ready!”

“Hungry?” Steffan asked.

“Always,” Myk replied.

And, the two followed the scent of food straight to the kitchen.

* * *

**Msst**

The force of the impact rattled teeth and cracked ribs. The Sith assigned to watch the Fallen One lay bleeding and trembling before his Master.

“ _Fool!”_ The Master shouted. “Your mission was to watch! You had specific orders not to come into contact with the Fallen One, and you disobeyed. Why?”

“I thought to bring him to you, Master,” The Sith sputtered. “So that you might bend him to your will.”

“Idiot! If I had wanted him here, I’d have sent far more than just you to do so,” The Master returned to his chair. “I do not want the Fallen One here. Our goal is not to convert Jedi to our beliefs. He is of no importance to me whatsoever. The job of the Fallen One was simply to occupy the minds of the Jedi so that they would not be looking for us!”

“I am sorry, Master.”

“Indeed, you are.”

“I just thought...”

“I highly doubt that.”

“Please,” The Sith pleaded. “Forgive me.”

“Rise, soldier,” The Master ordered. “Forgiveness does not come easy, here. Report to Master Trenith. He will have your next assignment. Do well, soldier, and your forgiveness shall be your reward.”

“As you will it, Milord.”

* * *

Steffan kept his stance loose as they circled around the wheel, and Myk did the same. Lightsabers were held low, and Steffan held his with just his sword arm for the moment, keeping his side to Myk. Both opened up their senses to the Force and let the fight play out in each other's minds as they kept moving.

And only Arie was getting tired of seeing the two pace in circles, "Look, if one of you doesn't....."

Before she could even finish, both men sprang forward at each other like a coiled spring that had just been loosened. Myk came in with his saber single-handed and tried to slip through Steffan's defense, but Steffan had rolled at the same time that he had blocked the attack and followed through the roll to catch Myk. But the other had already moved out of the way and came in again. Steffan was ready for the assault and had backhanded his lightsaber in his hand and kept going through wide infinity loops, blocking every strike Myk attempted to land before he leaped over him.

Myk turned just in time as Steffan landed and kept the Cataani from scoring a tap on him and kept his lightsaber blade riding down Steffan's. Steffan just pulled away in time before Myk could hit his hands and came in again, but Myk had ducked under the strike and forced Steffan to jump away from being tapped in the middle of the back. But Myk scored a glancing strike at his leg instead.

"One to me," Myk said as he and Steffan wasted no time facing each other and going at it again. Both attacked high, then low. And both blocked each other with a speed that Arie had never seen from them before. She had seen her husband practice time and time again and knew that Steffan practiced his form daily. But she'd never seen them fight with such intensity.... _had they finally begun mastery of what they had both studied carefully?_

Myk attacked high and Steffan would block. Almost in that same instant, Steffan would whirl around and attack Myk's middle, but Myk would fend it off just as he started to strike at Steffan again.

It continued over and over again, both going all over the room. When at last they began to lunge at one another, their blades riding each other till they almost hit each other.

It looked like this would be a draw, but Arie got surprised by what she saw...

Steffan had twirled his blade around instantly just before contact and it had thrown Myk's lightsaber free of his hands. Before Myk could call it back to his hand, Steffan had already back-handed his blade and let their momentum do the rest.

They landed on the other side of the circle from where they started. Steffan was still in his pose, his lightsaber back-handed. Myk had his hand to his neck, rubbing the red mark from the stun tap from Steffan's lightsaber. Arie stood there a-gasp at how fast it had all happened when Steffan flipped his saber in the air and caught it in a regular grip before he turned around slightly to face Myk.

"And, one to me," he whispered as he started to regain his senses from the intensity of combat. He knew this was because of the demands of the Seventh Form...but this was something totally new to him as he shut down his lightsaber and put it on his belt.

"Let us get some rest and time to uncover some more things about what is happened," he still whispered to the two as he slowly walked toward them. "I feel that we are going to be needed....very soon."

* * *

"You sure this is the right time?" Arie asked as Steffan was packing a few books into a small carryon. "I've said he'll come when he is ready."

"I can't explain it completely," Steffan said as he paused and stood there. "Myk and I were testing our knowledge of the seventh form of lightsaber combat. It requires completely turning yourself over to the Force in such a way that not many Jedi are able to do. When I was fighting, I don't know...I heard the Force tell me that it was time. Whether he's ready or not, it may be time for him to take his place again."

"Well, how're you going to find him?"

"He's still in the Outer Rim," Steffan said as he took Ainar's lightsaber off of the shelf and carefully laid it in the bag. "I'm going to have Ryneas pilot White Squall while I try to get a better sense of direction. Arie...I have to find him."

"Well, if the Force says that its time," Arie said as she hugged him. "Just don't go looking for trouble."

"I never look for trouble," Steffan jokingly told her. "It usually knows where to find me."

* * *

**The Night Before**

Myk's form was off...and he knew it. He'd slipped, and it had cost him the match. That, in and of itself, didn't bother him. Steffan was a friend, not a rival to be bested at the cost of that friendship. And, their matches often ran fifty-fifty. Losing wasn’t a big deal. But, still…

His form was off...and he knew why. He was thinking. It wasn't something generally looked upon as a bad thing, thinking. But, when practicing form seven, it could cost you your life.

Arie was pregnant. He may not have shown it on the outside, but, on the inside, that thought played foremost in his mind. They hadn't really planned on having a child, and Myk-Ron Dinn wasn't sure he was quite ready to be a father again. The wound that Kevin's passing had left in his heart throbbed each night when his memories would come back to haunt him. Sometimes, he could even hear little footsteps running down the hall...

The Rogue swiped at a tear as he wandered in the dark of night the woods surrounding the Karrde estate. It was a clear and cool summer night, but the woods lay silent in their sleep. The tangy-sweet smell of pine rode a cool breeze through the labyrinth of trees.

Myk-Ron sighed heavily. He didn't know what to do. She was nearly seven months along already. Part of him knew for a fact that when the baby did arrive he would love it and care for it without a second thought. But, in the dark of the woods where his mind could travel freely, the thought that he might somehow be betraying Kevin's memory would surface and threaten to bring him to tears.

Stopping in a clearing in the woods, Myk gazed to the stars in the clear night sky. Billions upon billions of burning suns gave life to planets across the galaxy. Billions upon billions of people were waiting as he was for their child to come. He wondered if any of them felt the way he did...

He sat down and crossed his legs.

The meeting with Talon was a week away. And, then, things would only get more and more chaotic. Many of the Jedi thought the Sith were behind all of it, and that somehow the Cataani Guildsmen were connected.

But, there were many different groups of Sith. Picking just one as the aggressors would seem foolish. The Guildsmen...well, he couldn't explain it, but he had a feeling that hunting that group of assassins down was a dead end race. NR Intel had discovered and routed three Guild training complexes to no real avail. There were no Sith artifacts found, no teachings, no lightsabers...nothing to even implicate a Sith influence on the Guild or vice versa. However, lack of evidence didn’t mean there wasn’t any...

“Force help me,”The Rogue sighed.

“No one else will,” came a voice from behind him.

In half a heartbeat, Myk was on his feet, facing the stranger with his lightsaber in hand, unlit but ready. The man stood near the edge of the clearing and slowly walked forward. In his hands were two ancient durasteel swords, claymores, if Myk remembered his ancient history. The man threw one of the blades at Myk’s feet and took a ready position just opposite the Rogue. The man held the weapon with the pommel near his navel, the tip of the blade almost digging into the ground behind him.

Myk hooked his lightsaber to his belt, dug his foot beneath the claymore at his feet, and kicked the weapon up and into his hands. It was a hefty blade, but balanced well. The grip was large enough to accommodate the two-handed fighting style needed to wield it properly, and above the crossguard was a nerf-hide wrapped ricasso for a bit more control up close. Myk held the blade high above his head and parallel to the ground. He set his feet about shoulder width apart, his right leading and his left trailing slightly behind him.

“Who are you?” Myk-Ron asked as he set himself.

“I am Guild," The stranger answered. “And I deliver a message: Leave us alone.”

“What are you talking about?” Myk gave the Guildsman a questioning look as he began to circle left.

“You know the answer to that,” The Guildsman kept his stance and rotated slightly to keep in line with Myk. “Your Republic has been hunting us, interrogating those of us they catch. We know you are looking for the Sith, and I am here to tell you that we do not have dealings with them.”

“You could have just said,” Myk replied dryly. “Telling me that and then killing me won’t be a very effective way of delivering a message.”

“No,” The Guildsman solemnly said. “The blood of those fallen calls out for retribution. Therefore, we strike at your strongest warriors, and blunt the edges of your blade.”

Myk grinned as he stopped in his circling and moved the claymore to a more practical guard with the pommel close to his left thigh, the blade crossing his chest and putting the tip above his right shoulder. “I’m flattered,” The Rogue said. “I hope you sent your strongest warriors for the job.”

“We shall see,” The Guildsman replied. He rushed Myk with an upward swing, aimed to slice the Rogue from groin to shoulder.

Myk caught the blow and forced the Guildsman’s blade out far to the left before riding it down until he and his opponent were face to face. The two pushed against each other, neither gaining the upper hand. The two backed off and began to circle once more, the battle playing out in their heads. Myk focused beyond his opponent and let his peripheral vision keep track of the enemy’s movements.

The two stopped circling and for hours, it seemed, they stood there. Neither opponent dared to move or even blink. The slightest misstep could spell certain death for either. It was a vicious mind game the two played.

When something finally did happen, it happened so fast that anyone watching would have missed it. The guildsman’s breathing changed and Myk charged, ducking his opponent’s swing, Myk brought his claymore up in an arc that split the Guild member in two. Blood seeped into the soft ground of the forest and ran down the blade of the claymore to cover Myk’s hands.

The Rogue sighed wearily and picked up the other sword. He planted it in the ground at the head of the Guildsman and left. He carried the sword he’d used with him as a token of what had just happened. It could have all been a lie. It could all have been orchestrated to make him think that the Sith and the Guild were not working together...but then again. He could have been telling the truth.

The sun was just beginning to rise when he reached the Karrde’s front porch. He leaned the claymore against a railing and lit up a cigarette. He stood there in the quiet of the morning and watched a beautiful sunrise.

* * *

"Good luck," Myk said as Steffan stepped out onto the porch carrying a duffle bag.

"There's no such thing as luck," Steffan replied.

"Yeah there is, bud, and you're going to need it."

"What happened to you?" Steffan asked when he noticed the blood and the Claymore.

"Not much," Myk shrugged. "I don't think the Guild is in this thing, though."

"What makes you say that?"

"They told me as much," Myk answered. "Look, you know what I think about this, but I'm going to wish you well anyway. Come back soon, with or without Ainar. I have a feeling something really big is brewing. We're going to need everyone in on this one."

"My thoughts exactly," Steffan said as he examined the claymore a little more closely. "He challenged you?"

"Said that blood had to be repaid," Myk told him. "I don't know what it is with your people sometimes, but you sure know how to hold a grudge."

"To each their own traditions," Steffan said as he walked down the path to where Ryneas had White Squall prepped and ready to fly. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

He walked the path alone to the landing pad. Ryneas was already stepping down the hatchway and looked to see his father coming up the way. "What's our first stop?"

"Get us to the Tholatin system," Steffan said as he boarded the ship. This was going to take time, but things were about to come to a head. He needed Ainar....

* * *

It'd taken days for Steffan to focus in on the feeling that he had found during his spar with Myk. He had Ainar's lightsaber in hand and had totally dived into the pure warmth of the Force and drew it all in to focus on his friend.

_You are needed, Ainar. Now It is time to redeem yourself...._

And suddenly, it was all clear to him.

He got up and surprised Ryneas when he came to the cockpit in a rush. "What's happened?"

"We're taking a new course," Steffan said as he punched in the coordinates and started aligning the ship for hyperspace. "He's on Barab....time to bring our brother home."

* * *

_You are needed, Ainar. Now It is time to redeem yourself...._

Ainar awoke with a chill down his spine. "Blast!" He got dressed and ran outside, looking at the stars.

 _"He's coming.."_ Ainar said to himself. Ainar went back inside and gathered his belongings, next order of business was to find a ship to get him away from this planet, he had sold his X-wing months ago.

"Emperor's black bones Steffan...why are you after me...?"

* * *

Arie shook her head angrily as she watched Steffan's ship leave Cataan.

"Your husband is the most stubborn, pig-headed, arrogant fool I have ever met." Arie bit out to Jade who also watched her husband leave.

"I know..." Jade quietly returned.

"Ainar is _my_ student, blast-it! How many times do I have to tell Steffan to leave him alone? Ainar will return to me in due time, on his own, but NOT if Steffan is out chasing after him. He is pushing Ainar further and further away from us...from ever returning to the order...Steffan is a fool..." Arie continued before storming in the Karrde home.

"Hey honey. How are you feeling?" Myk-Ron said as he passed his wife in the hallway.

"Stow it!" Arie cursed as she left her husband bewildered in the hallway.

"What did I say? Or do?" Myk asked, confused.

"I am _not_ going with you to Myrkr to meet Talon because my former step-brother Thrawn once set foot on that wretched planet and I am not going to chase after Ainar as Steffan seems bull-headed enough to do. I am returning to Coruscant. I have work to do." Arie replied as she packed her week bag.

* * *

Steffan could feel the sudden surge of emotion from back home as Ryneas started pulling the ship out of hyperspace. He knew Arie didn't approve, but he held back his thoughts. He only knew what the Force told him, and he would not question it. She separated herself from the Order of her own free will, and had not built upon her abilities. And so he only shook his head at her cutting down his name.

 _Don't read into it,_ Jade had sent him through their connection. _Of course she's concerned about you taking matters into your hands, but she's also having to deal with her child too. Just be careful and don't do anything rash, love._

He just nodded to himself till Ryneas got his attention. "Spaceport authority is hailing."

"Aright," Steffan said as he punched in the comm.

_"Approaching ship, we're identifying you as White Squall."_ the Barabel's voice hissed through the comm. _"Is this true? We're honored to have you here, Master Karrde."_

 _Well, that cat's out,_ Steffan thought as he shook his head before answering. "Barab control, we're here looking for a friend, but we didn't wish to advertise our presence here."

_"Oh...."_ Was all he heard on the line. _"We understand, Master Karrde, but we are confused...you know what respect we hold the Jedi in."_

"I am aware of that and am honored by your thoughts," Steffan told him. "But please consider my request."

_"Very well, White Squall. We have an opening for you in the southeast area. Proceed on your present course."_

Ryneas made it a smooth landed and Steffan helped him secure the rest of the ship. With the citizens of Barab, Steffan knew there would be no threat of intrusion, but one needed to be prepared.

"I'll be back soon," Steffan told his son as he started lowering the hatch. "Be sure to let your mother know we're here."

"Aye, father."

He put his bag over his shoulder and started to walk down the boarding ramp...

...just as he felt a familiar presence in the person coming around the corner and stopped in front of the ship.

"Ainar?" Steffan asked, looking at the face. There were lines of age and roughness on the man's face, his hair grown out far longer than what he remembered on his friend's face. But the recognition in his eyes was plain to see from the entrance of the hangar to the ship. And in that instant, his friend began to turn and run from him.

"Ainar! Wait!," Steffan pleaded as he started after him. "Please, my friend!"

* * *

"Um...babe?" Myk asked cautiously as he leaned in the doorway of the room he and Arie were sharing at the Karrde's.

"What?" She snapped back.

"You're not leaving here," Myk said in a matter of fact tone. "I don't want you with me at Myrkr, and if I did I would have asked. I don't want you chasing after Steffan or Ainar or anyone else, and I don't want you going back to 'work' either. Steffan has got to follow what he feels is right. So does Ainar. Claiming you know him any more than anyone else because you were his master is arrogant. Claiming that he will come back to you when he's ready is ignorant. He's his own man, and he will do what he chooses. Regardless of any affiliations others may feel he has."

Arie remained silent as she slapped her husband's face with a force like no other.

"Don't you ever say that again. You know nothing of training Jedi. Ainar is a son to me and you are jealous of something you cannot understand." Arie said in a low growl. She slammed shut the bag she was packing. "I will do as I please, and I am needed at work."

Myk took one step back, reached behind him and shut the door. No need to have everyone within five miles hear what he had to say. "Who in the blue _krif_ do you think trained our _son_?!" Myk shot back with a fire in his eyes that Arie had only seen directed at someone else. "Don't even _think_ to tell me that I don't know what it's like to train someone. That I don't know the bond formed between Master and Student. You're so out of touch, it's incredible. Where the hell are you, Arie? You're needed at work? And, _that is my point_. They **need** you too much! Let them _kriffing_ sink, damnit! You don't have to save them every time. You only hurt them when you do. Besides, it's not like you'll be bored not going to work. I don't know if you forgot, but we were intercepted by four fighters that I've never even seen before. Chances are they were Sith, and you're just going to ignore that and go play army with the Republic?"

"Are you done?" Arie asked as she pushed her way past Myk to the door.

 _"Kriffin' listen!"_ Myk nearly shouted. "Have you even heard a word I just said? You know what? Forget it! _Kriffin_ ' go. I'll see you around."

"I happen to have an Office to attend to. I will be on Coruscant if you need me." Arie bit out in reply as she stormed out the door and boarded her personal transport she kept in Steffan's hangar for emergencies, leaving her husband fuming behind.


	5. Chapter 5

_See the stone set in your eyes_

_See the thorn twist in your side_

_I wait...for you_

_Sleight of hand and twist of fate_

_On a bed of nails she makes me wait_

_And I wait... without you...._

_I can't live, with or without you..._

* * *

**Coruscant**

Arie slammed the mahogany door to the office parlor open and stormed inside. She had long since given up on trying to calm herself through Jedi meditations...Two of the few men she truly cared about in her life, Steffan and her husband, were both acting like arrogant banthas in her opinion.

She washed her hands of them and sat down at her desk, her hands feeling the smooth polished wood.

"Back a bit early, General?" a familiar voice asked in calmness.

Arie looked up to see Major Maxell standing in her doorway.

"I heard a door slam and assumed your office was being..."

"Being ransacked?" Arie softly laughed. "It wouldn't be the first time."

"Colonel Dinn did not return with you?" Maxell asked, looking around the office and seeing only Arie's bag in a chair.

"No. The long-suffering arrogant Mr. Dinn is still on Cataan, or perhaps on his way to meet with other riff-raff. I really haven't a care what he is up to or what he is doing." Arie stated-matter of factly.

Maxell's eyebrows jerked upward at this mention of a spat between man and wife.

"I can't live with or without him.....damned rogue." Arie cursed out, shaking her head as she ran a hand over the small bulge that was beginning to form from the child she carried within.

"Pain?" Maxell asked, concerned.

"No. I just foresee this child being as hard-headed as its father is and that does not please me. I am beginning to think that too much time had passed between my husband and me and now we are merely strangers living a lie..." Arie replied, rising to her feet, her light blue day-dress flowing around her.

"I wish to see how the Senate is doing if they are in session today." Arie nonchalantly said. Maxell nodded and offered his elbow to her to lead her out of the office like a gentleman would.

* * *

_I'm so tired of being here_

_Suppressed by all my childish fears_

_And if you have to leave_

_I wish that you would just leave_

_'Cause your presence still lingers here_

_And it won't leave me alone_

Arie stepped into the President's box and took a seat beside President Donnach. He smiled warmly at her and squeezed her hand, noticing that she was not in uniform, but obviously had returned to Coruscant to handle Bothan relations.

"Forgive me for my absence," Arie whispered.

"It is quite forgivable, my dear. That Senator of yours, Charles Isbill, has put up quite a good fight and debate these last few weeks. I believe he is as devoted as his father was." President Donnach replied.

"Thank you, sir. Word of his accomplishments has reached me even in the deepest of space." Arie answered, smiling.

_These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have_

_All of me_

He smiled warmly and bowed deeply, taking her hand in his and kissing the back of it lightly. "Milady, it is an honor to see you again, beautiful as ever." Charles Isbill said.

"Thank you, Senator, you speak kindly of me." Arie returned as he greeted her outside the Senate chamber with President Donnach.

"Your husband, Myk-Ron was it? He has not returned with you?" Charles asked, a concerned look upon his face, but Arie's hand still in his near his chest. Charles wore the Corellian colors on his sash across his military uniform. He was a vague resemblance of his older brother, Travis Isbill.

"No, he has other business to attend to. I have returned because...because...to be honest, I needed to just be away from him..from the Jedi.....from everyone who wishes to ask things of me..."Arie sighed heavily.

"Then let me be the last to ask anything of such a great woman. I am returning to Corellia for a soiree of the finest families on Corellia, nobility and our military's leading officers...I would ask that you accompany me, milady." Charles offered, again kissing Arie's hand gently and smiling at her.

"Yes, I think I should like that," Arie answered without a second thought of hesitation, smiling up at Senator Charles Isbill.

_You used to captivate me_

_By your resonating life_

_Now I'm bound by the life you've left behind_

_Your face it haunts_

_My once pleasant dreams_

_Your voice it chased away_

_All the sanity in me_

_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone_

_But though you're still with me_

_I've been alone all along..._

* * *

"Ainar! Wait!... Please, my friend!"

 _How did he...I didn't even sense him..._ Ainar ran away, not looking back. If he could just reach the outskirts, he could hide, he knew this place like the back of his hand. Seeing Steffan again brought back painful memories..a chill ran up his spine as he thought why Steffan had come after him. Ainar tried to mask his presence in the Force as he kept running, but he knew he couldn't stay in the city for long.

Steffan was a skilled hunter, and he always found his prey.

_Ainar please, stop_

Ainar tried to get Steffan out of his head, he couldn't stop. He almost killed Steffan, either Steffan was here to repay him or arrest him. He knew what the Council did to those Jedi that were charged. The outskirts were close now, he could see the city gate just as he tripped, flying face down into the dirt. When he got up, his senses flared and he tried to jump away but he was too slow.

A lightsaber seared into his left hand and Ainar went down screaming, holding his hand. Ainar couldn't see his attacker, but he didn't need to. "Finish it Steffan...just be quick."

"Even just before death, you do not know, _Fallen One,_ " the Sith said as he raised his blade. Ainar glanced up and say that it wasn't Steffan, but he heard Steffan's voice yelling before a blur of blue and black robes flew over his head.

Steffan's flying kick connected right into the Sith warrior's jaw and sent him flying back against the far wall. The Barabels that were closest to see what was going on warned others and they cleared the streets as Steffan ignited his blue-silver blade.

"Ainar?" he said as he looked back to his friend. "Are you alright?"

"Stef...Steffan?" Ainar wearily asked as he started to get up. "Why...I thought...."

"I'll explain later. But you need this," Steffan tossed an object into the air and Ainar immediately recognized his lightsaber and plucked it from the air.

"Steffan.....I thought you were here to kill me."

"Never," Steffan said as he faced the Sith, who was starting to get up. "Nor will I let anyone else harm my friend. What say you, Sith? Do you want to let your masters know that we're ready for you or do you wish to die in battle now?"

* * *

_here is gone..._

_You and I got something_

_But it's all then it's nothing to me_

_I got my defenses_

_When it comes to your intentions to me_

_And we wake up in the breakdown_

_In the things we never thought we could be_

_I'm not the one who broke you_

_I'm not the one you should fear_

_We've got to move you darling_

_I thought I lost you somewhere_

_But you were never really ever there at all_

_And you want to get free_

_Talk to me_

_I can feel you falling_

_And I won't 'tempt to be_

_All you need_

_Somehow here is gone_

_I am no solution_

_To this sound of dispollution in me_

_And I was not the answer_

_so forget you if ever thought it was me_

_I'm not the one who broke you_

_I'm not the one you should fear_

_We've got to move you darling_

_I thought I lost you somewhere_

_But you were never really ever there at all_

_And you want to get free_

_Talk to me_

_I can feel you falling_

_And I won't 'tempt to be_

_All you need_

_Somehow here is gone_

_And I don't need a fall out_

_Of all the past that's here between us_

_And I'm not holding on_

_And all your lies weren't enough to keep me here_

_And I want to get free_

_Talk to me_

_I can feel you falling_

_And I won't 'tempt to be_

_All you need_

_Somehow here is gone_

_I know it's out there_

_I know it's out there_

_I can feel you falling_

_So Now, here is gone..._

"What are you thinking?" the voice of Charles Isbill interrupted Arie's silent thoughts as she sat aboard Charles' Corellian Corvette model-s personal transport. It was an expensive cruise-sport model transport that only the nobility of Corellia could afford. It had all the new luxuries of a corvette, plush interior cushions, dining quarters and chambers.

"How far I've come....do you think I am a crutch for the New Republic? The way Mon Mothma or Leia Organa-Solo were when the republic was in its early stages?" Arie asked out of the blue. Charles was caught off guard by her question and took a moment to reply.

"No more than my father was for the Senate, or Corellia is for the Republic. We all have our places and duties in life...if fate deems us worthy to fulfill positions of power to uphold what is right, then so be it. Anything is better than that damned Empire..." Charles replied, shaking his head and then gently squeezing her hand as they continued their trip to Corellia.

* * *

Not that it matters, Jedi,” The Sith snarled as Steffan and Ainar fanned out. “But I don’t have a clue as to what you’re talking about.”

“But you called me the Fallen One,” Ainar arched an eyebrow.

“And that is supposed to mean something to me?” The Sith questioned back. “Any fool could see that you have tasted the darkness, and I can see that you liked it.”

“I will never fall again,” Ainar shot back.

“You Jedi are all so predictable,” The Sith taunted. “What makes you think anyone cares?” Without so much as breaking a stride, the Sith charged Steffan and Ainar...

* * *

**Cataan**

Myk was drenched in sweat when Andrea’s voice broke his concentration. She had asked if she could join him. He’d been in Steffan’s training wheel practicing…anything to get his mind right before his trip to meet Talon. The Rogue sighed and shook his head...he was in no state to train anyone. With his concentration broken, all of the rage came flooding back, and it was all he could do not to storm out of the Master’s Wheel.

“I cannot guarantee you’re safety at this moment,” He deadpanned. He forced a weak smile. “Perhaps another time. The Wheel is yours; I have to get ready for my flight.”

Myk-Ron left her there, casting an apologetic look in her direction. She was a good kid, and only trying to help. She was a good kid.

Within two hours, the _Firebird_ leaped into hyperspace on course for Myrkr.

* * *

It wasn’t a surprise to find that Talon had set up two comfy chairs around a low table at the base of the giant tree. Its branches spread out above them, still supporting the roof of Karrde’s old smuggling base. On the table was a holoprojector, datapad, a bottle of Whyvern’s Reserve, a pack of Myk’s favorite smokes, and two glasses. Myk smiled easily as he took his seat and slid a datacard to the Information King.

“Just hit play,” The Rogue said as he lit up a cigarette.

Karrde favored Myk with an inquisitive look before sliding the card into the holoprojector. In moments, the battle between the _Firebird_ and the four Sith fighters played itself out before them. When it was over, Karrde let out a low whistle.

“I have one,” Myk said with a feral grin.

“I know what those ships are,” Karrde nodded. “But I’ve never seen one before. Where did they come from?”

“That’s what you and your men are going to find out for me,” Myk replied. “The ship I have is in your cousin’s hangar on Cataan. They know you’ll be coming to get it. I want to know everything, Karrde. Right down to the Nerf they got the hide from for the seats.”

“Are you taking us off the Mistral case?” Karrde asked coolly.

“Find anything more out?”

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Karrde answered. “Check out Kuat. It was next on our list. One of the missing Mistral was reported to have been seen there in the company of several black-clad men. Sources indicate that she was cooperating, but that can easily be wrong. They boarded a ship at the drive yards, and that is where the trail ended. You may be able to snoop around in the Kuat Drive Yards computer and find out where they were headed.”

“Ya know,” Myk said as he stood. “I knew there was a reason I hired you. You’ll find your pay in the account tomorrow. A pleasure as always, Talon.”

“Indeed,” The old smuggler replied as Myk left. “Truth be told,” He said to himself when the Rogue was out of earshot. “I’m finding it all rather fun.”

* * *

**Kuat**

“Kuat Drive Yards, this is Colonel Myk-Ron Dinn, NR Armed Forces, Captain of the freighter _Firebird_ ,” Myk answered the comm. “Requesting permission to dock and refuel.”

“ _Permission granted, Colonel Dinn,”_ KDY Control came back. “Get in line and follow the beacons.”

“Roger that,” Myk sighed as he steered his ship to the end of an endless line. Seeing as it was the busiest shipyards in the galaxy, a line was to be expected...but this was ridiculous. _Might as well get comfortable,_ Myk thought as he kicked up his boots. He was in for a four-hour wait.

* * *

"Oh, it’s absolutely to die for!" Arie gushed as she delicately fingered the red velvet evening gown that was trimmed with Corellian rubies, red stain lace, a crimson boa shoulder wrap and a pair of matching red slippers.

"Only the best for the lady." Charles returned, smiling, pleased that Arie was quite happy with his selection of evening attire he had had personally made for her by his tailor.

Arie disappeared behind a shade screen to change clothes. She quickly slipped the dress on and found it to be form-fitting and accentuating her natural curves, but hiding the small sign of pregnancy on her mid-front.

She reappeared from behind the screen and Charles hurriedly stood from the chair he was sitting in out of respect for Arie. "You are a dazzling velour vision of scarlet and crimson, my dear. Absolutely stunning." Charles complimented, taking Arie's hand and twirling her around once so he could see the whole dress now that it was on its owner that it had been tailored for.

"Oh Charles, you shouldn't have!" Arie feigned guilt, but was really amazed by how gorgeous the dress was on her. She felt Charles' hands slip around her neck from behind and she looked down to see a princess-cut drapery necklace of Corellian rubies being fitted around her neck. She inhaled sharply at their beauty. Charles dropped a matching pair of drapery ruby earrings in her hand and she marveled at their clarity and color as she fastened them in her earholes.

"There, the crowning touch for such a princess." Charles quietly smiled, pleased with Arie's appearance. "You will surely be the belle of the ball."

Arie blushed.

"Everyone will be saying I clean up well." Arie softly laughed at herself, knowing her image was always seen in military uniform and never normal clothes, much less evening gowns.

"And I shall challenge anyone to a duel who says otherwise about your beauty...or tries to steal you away from me tonight." Charles returned, again kissing her hand softly.

 _My! This must be what it is like to be of Corellian nobility...to live the life of jewels, dresses, balls, and never have to worry about money or what goes on in the rest of the galaxy..._ Arie thought to herself as Charles led her out the door of her chambers and out to the grand hall where the soiree had already begun.

The grand hall was filled with military officers, nobles, and some of the wealthiest Corellians with women dressed in flowing gowns on their arms, talking, drinking, laughing, eating, dancing, enjoying the music. Sounds of a full symphonic orchestra playing Corellian classical music filled the hall.

Lavish decorations of ribbons, flowers, sprigs of fern and other flora decorated the massive marble pillars that held the hall's ceiling in place. The stained glass windows had lit candles on their ledges, providing a soft glow to the outer sanctuary of the hall whereas the main marble dance floor was light by five crystal and diamond chandeliers.

Arie caught the glances of many Corellian officers, their wives, as well as many nobles, eyeing her walking around on the arm of Senator Charles Isbill.

"Arie, my dear! So glad you could make it!" came General Erik Isbill's voice over the gathering crowd. He promptly bowed before her and kissed her hand, complimenting her dress.

"I should have died on the spot when I heard Charles had stolen you for the ball for himself!" Erik teased his brother.

"And he would have regretted it all the more had he asked you to join him and you turned him down." Charles returned in jest to his younger brother.

Erik nodded once in reply. " _Touche_ , my brother."

"I am fortunate to have the elegant General Dinn as my guest this evening- Erik, would you please tell the maestro of my request made earlier?" Charles asked. Erik bowed in replied and walked over the symphonic conductor and whispered something to him.

"Have you something up your sleeve, Charles?" Arie toyed, smiling slyly.

"Only the best for the lady," Charles answered as a Coshackian symphony Arie immediately recognized began to fill the grand hall. It was the very music Myk-Ron had proposed to Arie in the Imperial Palace Grand Hall so many years before. Arie was taken away by the breathless beauty of the symphony in live sound.

"May I have this waltz, milady?" Charles asked, bowing before her and taking her hand in his and laying a hand around her waist as they began to waltz across the marble floor...

* * *

**Barab I**

Ainar braced himself for the oncoming charge. But before he even had the chance to defend himself, he saw Steffan rushing up the charge and drove the Sith warrior back with such speed in his attacks that Ainar almost had to blink. His friend was radiating energy that he had never seen before. _What had happened in the time since he had left?_

Steffan kept holding his blade with just his sword arm for the time as he only went for glancing blows and parried the Sith's attacks. It was frustrating his opponent and was causing him to become more sloppy in his attacks. It was what Steffan was hoping for. He could have ended this fight at any time, but instead, he took the opening and slammed the Sith against the wall with a Force Hammer.

"I suppose that you've had enough of this fight," Steffan calmly said after he had shut down his lightsaber and walked to where he was keeping the Sith pinned. "Know this, I could have ended this at any time. We are leaving and I do not wish to see you facing us again this day for a rematch."

“You can stuff your advice, Jedi," the Sith said with utter contempt. "My life is my own and so dedicated am I to your destruction."

Steffan shook his head as he picked up the Sith's lightsaber and regarded it for a while before destroying it before its owner's very eyes.

"Practice your skill, and you might stand a better chance," Steffan said as he threw the Sith back across the street. He turned his back and walked over to where Ainar was still standing. The warrior made quick his departure as Steffan stopped in front of his old friend.

"You look like you could use a razor," he told Ainar as they stood there.

"I...I thought you would come to kill me..." was all Ainar could say to him. "Steffan, I am so sorry for what..."

"It's in the past, over and done," Steffan told him as he raised his hand to hold off the rest of Ainar's sentence. "Come on, Ryneas has the ship waiting for us."

Ainar followed his old friend to the starport where Ryneas was waiting, and as they walked through town many Barabel bowed and paid their respects to them. Ainar smiled at the faces he had gotten to know during his stay here.

"There he is," Steffan said and waved to his son, sitting in the pilot's seat of the _White Squall._

Ainar followed Steffan up to the ramp and entered the ship. It felt like ages since Ainar had been aboard a space ship.

"Father...Ainar," Ryneas said and nodded to them as they boarded.

Ainar smiled at the boy, "You've grown up since the last time I saw you".

Ryneas smiled nervously at Ainar but then his smile disappeared and he turned around and re-entered the cockpit.

 _I deserve as much..._ Ainar thought.

"Don't worry about it my friend," Steffan said and rested his hand on Ainar's shoulder.

"Let's sit," Steffan told his friend and motioned for him to head into the living area.

"Caf?"

Ainar grinned, "Please, that's the one thing I missed...the Barabel are a hospitable and a generous race....but they lack decent caf."

Steffan laughed as he handed Ainar a steaming cup of caf.

The two friends shared a laugh for what seemed like ages.

"I've missed you, Steffan, I've missed my friends...my family."

Steffan smiled at his friend and laid his cup on the table.

"We've missed you too my friend...and I never got to tell you that I am so sorry about what happened to Kate."

Ainar looked away as Steffan mentioned his wife, it still stung when he thought about her. "Thank you Steffan, I appreciate that....and I'm sorry for almost killing you"

Steffan grinned back at him, "No worries, it was my own doing... Now Ryneas will take us to Cataan to meet with the others…"

"No."

Steffan looked over to his friend.

"Ter-Lon's there...I can feel him. Please, Steffan...I can't see him yet...."

"Very well," Steffan said as he nodded. He understood Ainar's feelings, not wanting to see his former student...not just yet anyway. "I think Arie will want to see you, though."

"Arie...," Ainar whispered between sipping his caf. "I don't know if that is..."

"You have to start somewhere," Steffan told him. "I'll see if Arie's home. Enjoy your caf."

Steffan let him sit there and came forward as Ryneas was finished with breaking orbit. He typed in the comm for Coruscant.

 _"Galactic Defense, office, this is Major..."_ Maxell started to say until he recognized his caller. _"Master Karrde, I wasn't expecting to hear from you for a while."_

"That's alright Major," Steffan told him. "Is the General in?"

_"I'm sorry, Master Jedi, but the General is not on Coruscant. She accepted Senator Isbill's invitation to join him on Corellia."_

"Odd," Steffan whispered as he ran some things through his mind. "Thank you major." He cut the channel off and punched in another set of numbers that only he knew.

 _"Well, this is a surprise,"_ Talon told him, fingers arched in front of him. _"I'm told I have something that I need to look over in your hangar."_

"You spoke to Myk then," Steffan said as Ryneas focused on his flying. "Did you note any hostilities in his voice at anytime?"

 _"Come to think of it,"_ Talon said as he thought about it. _"There seemed to be something eating at him. Should I be concerned?"_

"No, of course not," Steffan said as he thanked his cousin for the information and shut down the comm unit. "Ryneas, set course for Corellia....best possible speed that you can get out of her."

When Steffan turned around, he came face to face with Ainar.

"That was Talon Karrde right?"

Steffan nodded.

"He's been helping Myk with a lead he came up with..."

"Hey now, remember I've been out of it for a while," Ainar said grinning.

Steffan motioned for him to sit down. "There have been a couple of Sith attacks lately, for the past months actually, and the Mistral might be connected."

"The Mistral? Yes, I've heard of them. Never actually met one."

Steffan continued, "Yes, and that's what Talon has been looking into".

Ainar stroked his beard, he hadn't done that in months...didn't feel right, too long.

"You might want to call him again."

Steffan looked at him confused.

Ainar leaned forward, "Almost a week ago I was attacked by a Sith, at first I thought it was a random attack...I was defenseless but managed to overpower him and sent him running...he called me the 'Fallen One'....remind you of our friend earlier? He called me the exact same thing."

Steffan took a deep breath, "It's hard to see the connection if any..."

"Sith never work together, unless for a larger purpose....they can't stand each other, and the first one spoke of his Master...that he would bring me to him."

Steffan stood up and paced the room. "It's worth looking into...if this Master sent two Sith after you, either to kill you or capture you."

Ainar stood up and nodded at him. "Thank you...now, can I use your 'fresher? I think it's time for me to clean up."

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

**Corellia**

Arie's head hummed with pleasant laughter, Corellian waltzes, champagne, and perfectly-aged wines as she twirled around the dance floor with Charles, feeling like a princess.

It was late and she had drunk enough wine to make her senses dulled and her skin pink and warm. The lights from the chandeliers were mere streaks in her blurred vision as they continued to dance.

Suddenly a horrendous sound of a nearby explosion rocked the hall, the lights flickering slightly and dust falling from the ceiling pelted the dancers lightly. Charles pulled Arie close to him to protect her from falling debris as Erik ran over to them.

"What the hell was that?" Erik asked, the two of them looking out the stained glass window in front of them.

"From what I can tell, the Bel'Iblis Nomar Scientific Research building just went up in flames," Charles replied, his eyes dark and his eyebrows slanted downward as he struggled to observe the distant building from the window.

"The _what_ building?" Arie asked, slightly drunk, not really comprehending what had just taken place.

"Our research lab where the military and medical units perform experiments in technology and medicine." Charles calmly replied, still studying the smoke rolling off of the distant building.

"Should we go see?" Arie asked, steadying her balance on Charles' lower arm.

He looked her over and then at his brother. "We should, but you should retire my dear, you've had a bit too much to drink tonight." Charles quietly said.

"I'll be sober by the time we get there," Arie replied, looking up at him, smiling from her alcohol buzz.

"Alright then. Erik, help her to my speeder and I will go make our excuses to Aunt Bernice and the rest of the family." Charles answered. Erik nodded in reply and gently took Arie's hand from Charles and lead her out of the great hall to a waiting speeder by the curb. He helped Arie into the back seat and she plopped down drunkenly. Erik took the front passenger seat beside the lower-class driver.

Charles returned quickly and took his seat beside Arie, shutting the speeder door as it took off in the direction of the research facility.

"Word is that there was a B & E on the facility and then as guards arrived to investigate the tripped security alarm, an explosion took out four of the guards." Charles relayed what information he had gotten from his family and other military officers before leaving the great hall.

"My presence here did not go unnoticed," Arie commented, leaning more towards the window of the enclosed speeder, debating if she was going to be sick as she fought off a wave of nausea.

"I don't think this is related to you being on Corellia, my dear. No one knew of your arrival until you were presented at the great hall on my arm." Charles explained.

"'Ole Charles here didn't even tell me his own brother, that you had accepted his invitation to the ball," Erik smirked, throwing a half-smile at his older brother and at Arie.

"It needn't be advertised, Erik. She is still married to that Jedi fellow and is our former sister-in-law." Charles replied.

"Maxell knew..." Arie said disgustedly as another wave of nausea hit her.

"Who, milady?" Erik asked, intrigued.

"Major Brent Maxell, my personal advisor, and assistant. He knew I was leaving planet-side." Arie replied.

“Perhaps you shouldn't have had as much to drink?" Charles asked softly, taking Arie's hand in his and squeezing it.

"Forgive my forwardness, milady, but are you not with child?" Erik asked, the sudden realization hitting him.

"Yes, I am." Arie answered, inhaling deeply.

"Then you should not be drinking," Erik replied.

"Posh pooey! A Jedi as skilled as I am can prevent alcohol from reaching the fetus." Arie explained.

Erik nodded, understanding better why Arie had allowed herself to drink wine and champagne that night at the ball. The speeder stopped outside Bel'Iblis-Nomar Research Facility and Charles helped Arie to her feet, who had been using a Force-cleansing technique to sober herself.

"Lieutenant, what happened here?" Erik asked once one of the guards recognized him as head of CorSec saluted him.

“Sir, Project Alpha was stolen." the Lieutenant answered.

Erik's face went white at these words. " _Are you sure?_ "

"Sir, yes sir. The project itself as well as the data-discs and plans. The explosion was a diversion for the thief to get away." the Lieutenant replied.

"I want this place sealed, no press, no street cops, just CorSec personnel and have CorDef shut down any interplanetary traffic. I want all ports searched. We must find this thief. Are you sure it was only one?" Erik ordered and then asked.

"Sir, yes sir. We have only one set of fingerprints on the container and they could not be traced in by our team. They belong to someone who is not in the system." the lieutenant answered.

"I argued for mandatory fingerprinting of all citizens and visitors to Corellia and our government doesn't listen, says it’s a violation of citizen rights....and then this happens!" Erik ranted to his brother, Charles.

"I happen to agree with father on this one, brother. It is a violation of rights. A severe one. No matter, the thief will be caught." Charles returned.

"Someone want to fill me in on Project Alpha?" Arie asked, blinking her eyes hard, realizing that neither Charles or Erik had been listening to her questions previously. Both men looked at her and ceased their bickering.

"Fill you in as our guest here on Corellia, or as General Dinn, Head of Galactic Defense?" Erik asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

Arie sighed heavily. "I am here as a guest, so talk to me as a guest."

"Come, we will go to my office," Erik replied.

* * *

Arie sat stunned, in her chair in Erik's CorSec office. "You've _got_ to be kidding me."

"I'm afraid not," Erik answered. He had just explained that Project Alpha was Corellia's leading military weaponry program and one of the most advanced weapons since the Death Star. Only this weapon was not massive like the Death Star or flyable like the Sun Crusher but consisted of two metallic balls that were roughly the size of Cataani oranges, twelve inches in diameter.

Erik handed Arie a silver ball and she took it, surprised by its massive weight as her hand nearly sunk to the floor trying to hold the intensely weighted sphere. " _Sweet Force_ , what is in this thing? Twin Tiron Ore?" Arie asked sarcastically.

"That is the beauty of this weapon. Its small size allows for intense gravitational fields to be emitted when put next to another Alpha sphere." Erik began to explain.

"So they are magnetic? How is that a weapon?" Arie asked, eyeing the heavy sphere in her hand.

“Each sphere is the equivalent of a star's core energy, compacted into this sphere. The free-floating electrons begin to race inside the sphere when the sphere is brought next to another, due to magnetic attraction. This intense increase in electron activity boosts the energy level until the two spheres give off an electrical shock wave that can penetrate anything." Erik continued.

"I don't believe that." Arie returned, setting the sphere on Erik's desk in a spherical holder with some difficulty due to the weight.

"Would you like a demonstration?" Erik asked, intrigued.

"Yes, I would. I believe my Force-shields can absorb the energy and thus it would not be a capable weapon against Jedi skilled in my talent." Arie differed. To show her enthusiasm, she put a hand out in front of her and a Force-shield immediately formed around her, a protective bubble.

"Very well then. Charles, please?" Erik asked. Charles opened a duracrete safe against the wall and removed a second sphere. Erik set the first sphere on the floor and then climbed onto his desk. Charles set the second ball on the floor beside him and quickly scrambled onto of Erik's desk beside him.

The two men stood on the desk, watching as the magnetic attraction of the two spheres slowly drew them together and a burst of light and a blue-glowing energy ring emitted from the spheres in a circular pattern outward, like ripples on the water until they reached Arie's Force-shield.

Erik and Charles shielded their eyes from the intense light that occurred when the energy ring hit Arie's Force-shield.

When they looked back, Arie was lying on the floor, unconscious.

"Oh look, you've killed her!" Charles swore at his brother as he jumped off the desk and lifted Arie off the floor and found her to be breathing.

" _Kriffin_ ' Corellians....got to have the best weapons always?" Arie muttered, coming to as she still twitched slightly from the energy blow she had received. Charles set her on her feet and she used him to steady her weight.

"Those were only prototypes. The secondary version that was to be reproduced for military use was the one stolen." Erik commented, pleased with Arie's reaction.

"Those are going to be dangerous to any power-driven equipment, computers, and not to mention knock a person off their feet like a bad hangover." Arie replied, trying to shake the feeling of the energy surge from her body.

"Well, they must still be approved by the Senate." Charles returned, looking Arie over. She brushed her velvet red dress free of static particles and fluffed her boa and adjusted her necklace carefully.

"That is definitely going to make it difficult for many Jedi if these fell in the wrong hands..." Arie commented.

A comm beeped and Erik answered it. "Yes?" Erik asked.

 _"A Master Karrde and Master Algeron are preparing to land on pad 480-R. They wish to speak with General Dinn."_ came a voice over the comm.

 _Ainar....Steffan found him...._ Arie thought to herself, surprised.

* * *

**Kuat Drive Yards**

_Crowded streets are cleared away_

_One by one._

_Hallow heroes separate_

_As they run._

_You’re so cold, keep your hand in mine._

_Wise men wonder while strong men die._

_Show me how it ends, it’s alright._

_Show me how defenseless you really are._

_Satisfied and empty inside._

_That’s alright._

_Let’s give this another try..._

The ship was on an automated course for the docking bay, and there were still two hours to go... Flesh ripped as knuckles were torn on the punching bag in the cargo hold.

The Kuat Drive Yards buzzed with life and activity. Thousands upon thousands of ships flitted here and there like so many insects around a hive...

Blood ran freely down the bag and pooled on the floor beneath.

People went about their lives, their work, their everyday. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Nothing was wrong...

Sweat mingled with blood and stung knuckles numb with pain...

Life went on in the galaxy as it had for a lifetime. Billions upon billions of lives seemingly unaffected by each other...and yet, connected through the Force so completely...

“This feeling of doom persists, and I can do nothing to stop it,” The Rogue Jedi Master opened bloody hands and began wrapping them.

* * *

**Msst**

_They fall in line, one at a time,_

_Ready to play._

_I can’t see them anyway._

_No time to lose, we’ve got to move._

_Steady the hand._

_I am losing sight again._

_Fire your guns. It’s time to run._

_Blow me away._

_After the fall, we’ll shake it off._

_Show me the way._

_Only the strongest will survive._

_Lead me to heaven when we die._

_I am the shadow on the wall._

_I’ll be the one to save us all..._

“Tonight, we strike back!” He called to the frenzied crowd, the emotion roiling off of them like the sweetest of nectars did saturate him so. He fed off it.

“Tonight, we teach the Jedi what we have learned from them,” He enticed them more and was rewarded with the rush of energy they bled. “Fear! They will fear us as we have feared them for millennia. They will know what it is like to wish for a place to hide and pray for a quick death. They hunt us, they kill us, and why? Because we believe something they do not?

“They say we are of the Dark Side, and I ask; what makes them Light?"

“The answer is their own arrogance. The Jedi shall fall, and we shall pick up the broken pieces of their puppet government. The galaxy will know the truth, and we shall never have reason to fear again!

“Brothers, sisters, united peoples of the Sith,” The crowd was on the verge of explosion. “This is our time! This is our War! We strike from the shadows hard and fast. We move on the Jedi in our prime! _**They will fall! And the Sith shall be FREE!**_ ”

 _Ecstasy_. He believed that was the word for a feeling like this.

* * *

**Kuat Drive Yards**

_There’s nothing left. So, save your breath._

_Lying awake._

_Caught inside this tidal wave._

_Your cover’s blown, nowhere to go,_

_Only your fate._

_Only I will walk away._

_Fire your guns. It’s time to run._

_Blow me away._

_After the fall, we’ll shake it off._

_Show me the way._

_Only the strongest will survive._

_Lead me to heaven when we die._

_I am the shadow on the wall._

_I’ll be the one to save us all..._

In the space between heartbeats, an organized screen of green, gold, and blue blips became a riotous depiction of crimson chaos. Unidentified ships were jumping in all around the Drive Yards, and there were enough of them to completely ensnare the system in a huge death trap.

“Sound the horn!” Major Trent Duncan shouted over the cacophony in the control room. “Battle stations, every man able! Sensors, what’s the count?”

“Twenty, two-zero, _Vic_ class Star Destroyers. Ten, one-zero, _Imperial_ -class SD II’s. Fifty smaller frigates and assault ships...And, one Super Star Destroyer...”

“They have an SSD?” Trent nearly went white as he gazed at the visual display of this new fleet on a monitor above. Indeed they did have a Super Star Destroyer, and the name painted on the side shook everyone who saw down to the very bone. The _Executor_ lived once more.

There was the briefest of moments of shock...and then Kuat Drive Yards experienced an apocalypse.

* * *

**Coruscant**

“ _Coruscant control! What’s going on out there?!_

“ _...insane...”_

“ _One hundred warships? And an SSD?”_

“ _Where did they come from?!”_

Every comm channel in existence buzzed with life and death and the chaos of war all around Coruscant. The Orbital Defense Platforms, even the Golan III’s were out of commission. The Planetary shields were still holding, but holes had formed in places, and enemy dropships were pouring through the cracks in the defenses.

Surprisingly enough, this strange new enemy was using Ion Cannon, and the casualty total of this onslaught was thus far... _zero_...

* * *

**Corellia**

“Sir,” Kyle O’mas reported. “I’m picking up some strange gravitic anomalies near the edge of the system.”

Captain Rance calmly took a position behind Lieutenant O’mas and peered at the screen. “It’s the pre-disruption before a ship drops out of hyperspace,” The senior officer explained.

“I know, Sir,” Kyle answered. “That’s not the strange thing, however.” Kyle expanded the range to cover the whole of the Corellian system.

Captain Rance drew in a breath in a rush. _“Sound the alarms!”_ He cried as one-hundred battleships winked into existence all around the Corellia system...and there too was an SSD...this one bearing the haunting name of _Lusankya_.

* * *

**Coruscant**

The entranceway of the Jedi Temple began to glow a bright orange before blowing inward in a shower of sparks and hot durasteel. Lightsabers flashed and clashed amid the smoke. A veritable Force Storm raged throughout the entire temple. Sith battered down Jedi caught completely unawares. The Sith all wore a form of breath mask and when the green fog began to roll throughout the temple, the Jedi realized why...but it was too late.

One by one the Jedi fell unconscious, and the Sith carried their sleeping bodies back to their command ship...

* * *

**Corellia**

Another explosion rocked the building Arie, Erik, and Charles were in, but this one was different...there was no fire, there were no alarms, it was almost as if the air itself had exploded...almost like a sonic boom.

“ _Down!_ ” Arie cried and they all hit the floor as the roof of their office was ripped from the foundations by the slipstream of the departing craft. Dust and permacrete flew through the air. The noise was deafening. The chaos was...poetic.

“Arie!” She thought she heard someone call her name.

“Arie, are you okay?!”

Groggily, she pushed herself off the dirt-strewn floor, her dress torn and battered. Instantly, a pair of hands took hers and helped her to her feet. “Arie? Are you alright?” Steffan asked, but it was not Steffan that Arie was looking at. Ainar stood by the wrecked doorway, lightsaber at the ready, guarding his friends.

Arie broke free of Steffan’s hold and rushed to her former student, enveloping the prodigal Jedi in a tight hug. “I knew you’d come back,” She said.

“ _Such a touching reunion,”_ came a voice as cold as the iciest glaciers on Hoth. Arie looked up from her hug to see two hundred soldiers, all of them brandishing lightsabers, had encircled what was left of the office. The one who had spoken stepped forward. “We deliver a message to the Phoenix. We have taken your temple, and the Jedi within. We have taken all the Jedi in the galaxy. They all wait on a ship in the middle of nowhere for your rescue. The Sith have declared war on the Jedi. This was merely a show to convince you that we are not playing. We shall leave your Jedi where they are and we shall leave the planets you control. We will wait at Msst. There, one of the first Sith sought refuge. We invite you to come and try to wrest it from our hands. You have a month to gather your army and meet us there. We shall be waiting. If you choose not to show, we shall unleash our fleet upon this galaxy and begin taking systems one by one.”

The Sith produced a datacard and tossed it on the rubble-strewn floor of the office. “On that card you will find the coordinates of the ship where your Jedi are stranded...” He paused and held his hand to his ear. Arie could barely see the wire of an earpiece comm unit. The Sith wore an annoyed expression as he turned to Arie once more. “You may wish to inform _the Conduit_ of what I have said. Apparently, he doesn’t answer enemy hailing calls.”

* * *

**Kuat Drive Yards**

The indicator light on the comm board was going crazy. _'What the kriff do they want to talk about?'_ Myk thought out loud as he snapped the _Firebird_ on her side, slid between two older class dreadnaughts, and then looped up and around a Mon Cal Cruiser. “They’re ripping the yards to pieces, but they keep trying to talk to me.” The Rogue cut power to the engines of his ship and flipped her end for end. For a moment, he flew backwards towards the bridge of an enemy Vic-class SD. At the last second, he kicked the engines in full, cooking the white hull of the Star Destroyer in Ion Exhaust and frying whatever sensors they had in the bridge.

Those strange fighters from before buzzed all around the Drive Yards, picking apart the local defense force. Slowly the chaos around the Yards came to an end as the Kuati decided to surrender. In Myk’s area, however, the battle raged on.

Fifteen capital warships now surrounded the _Firebird_. Ten of them had tractor beams locked, but Myk refused to give up. He expanded his inertial compensator to a hundred meters outside his ship, throwing off the tractor beams. In those moments of freedom that followed, he managed to take out the port-side guns of one of the Vic’s now surrounding him. The freedom was short-lived however as ten more tractor beams found purchase in his ship.

That was when he noticed that they weren’t firing on him.

The light on his comm board was still flashing and Myk slapped it on. “You have my attention,” He called. “You also have the Drive Yards. If you’re calling to gloat, just shoot me and get it over with.”

“ _Your reputation precedes you, Conduit,”_ A cold voice came back. It sent ice through his veins, but there was something strangely familiar about the voice on the other end. _“Thanks to you, we’ve lost two capital ships and two squadrons of fighters. Most impressive.”_

“Yeah, I want a medal,” Myk shot back acidly.

“ _Indeed. You may yet deserve one. We’ll be leaving now, your wife has our message. Your computer should be receiving the details. We’ll see you in a month’s time, Conduit. Be ready.”_

For the longest time, Myk sat there, stunned and bewildered. Kuat Drive Yards was a mess, but as the assessment rolled across his screen he found that the casualties were in single digits, and accidental. The show of power was like nothing he’d seen since the height of the Empire or the Clone Wars. The precision with which they’d laid out their attack was genius.

As he read over the information the Sith had sent him, a shiver ran down his spine. If they had three SSD’s and a fleet of two-hundred and eighty-one battleships...there was just no way the Jedi could amass a force that big to counter them. But they had a month...if the Jedi did not meet the Sith on the battlefield they’d chosen, the Sith would systematically begin taking over the galaxy.

Myk lit up a cigarette and punched in the transponder codes for Arie’s and Steffan’s comlinks. He sent a simple message before setting his coordinates and jumping to where the lost Jedi were left.

“Meet me where a Jedi dueled a Vong for the sake of a planet. Bring everyone.”


	7. Chapter 7

"What in the name of...," Steffan began to ask as the Sith had already made their way out. By that time, static started to come over his wristcomm and through Arie's commlink with Myk's voice starting to show.

**_"Meet me where a Jedi dueled a Vong for the sake of a planet. Bring everyone.”_**

"What in the name of all things holy is going on here," Charles asked with expressions of confusion on his face.

"My thoughts exactly," his brother stated as both looked at Steffan, Arie, and Ainar.

"I don't think you really want to know," Steffan said as he pulled his wristcomm. "Ryneas, are you alright?"

_"For the moment, what the hell just happened...sorry dad."_

"It's alright, I'm to that point myself," Steffan told him as he looked around to the others in the room. "Son, I need you to alert your mother, Dilan, and Andrea. We may need to meet up at some point..."

_"Dad,"_ Ryneas told him. _"I tried already...I got mother and Andrea, but I couldn't reach Dilan. There was no answer on his comm."_

"Alright then." Now Arie was seeing Steffan biting back a series of curses under his breath. "Start unlocking Blue Talon's docking clamps and be ready to set a course for Ithor once we're aboard."

_"Aye, dad."_

"Steffan," Arie said as she caught his attention. "You've got _Blue Talon_ here?"

"Aye, I thought it would be a wise precaution, and now...."

"Brother," Arie tried to tell him. "I think they might be able to compromise _Blue Talon_ now."

"What?" Steffan asked as he looked at her, then Charles and his brother. "What are you talking about?"

* * *

**The Maw**

There it sat...just on the edges of the Maw Cluster. The computer read the gravitational pull on the old battered cruiser at ten meters per hour. Within two days, the Jedi aboard would be lost to the black holes that made up this astrogational anomaly.

Myk checked his scanners for the hundredth time. He was running at full power, so anyone within the system would know he was there. Still, he wasn't picking up anything. There were no mines, no fighters, nothing. Just the battered cruiser. He ran through the cloak-finding program Talon had Ghent produce...it had cost him a great deal, and he wasn't even sure if it worked. But the Rogue trusted Karrde. The cloak-finder read negative as well.

He tried hailing the battered cruiser to no avail. There were Jedi aboard, but they seemed far too peaceful for captives of war. _They're sleeping,_ Myk nodded as he opened his eyes. _Well, there's nothing for it. I just hope I can fit them all in the Firebird._

With a steady hand, Myk-Ron Dinn flew his ship into the hangar bay of the old cruiser...

Rescuing a people he didn't completely agree with, so he could fight in a war he wasn't sure he wanted to fight, against an enemy that wanted nothing more than revenge...

Something inside him balked at the idea... _the Force?_ But there was something about Myk that differentiated him from Jedi and Sith alike. He truly did not care about the galaxy or the people in it. He held his friends and loved ones above all else...that was why he was rescuing these Jedi. That was why he would fight in this war. Because his friends would be, and he would protect them, no matter the cost...

* * *

Arie angrily reached out through the Force and snatched the datacard up, staring at the location where sith had just stood.

"Oh no! Not on MY watch!" Arie cursed out loud, ripping the tattered boa fringe from the top of her dress. The dress was a total loss, but that did not concern Arie at the moment.

"Charles," Arie said, turning towards her former brothers-in-law. "We are going to need more of those sphere things... _a lot more_ ," Arie said.

"We'll have as many produced as the factory will allow en lieu of the original data plans missing," Erik answered confidently.

"Steffan, these energy spheres could disable _Blue Talon_ in a nanosecond...if we could manage to use them against the Sith and their fleets, we could easily take them. As well as help from my most hated creature..." Arie said, slyly smiling, her military genius showing.

"Ysalamari..." Steffan answered as Arie nodded.

"I really hate those things...but between my husband, myself, the spheres and the ysalamari and all the Jedi we can gather plus my fleets.....we'll give them the fight they've been wanting...." Arie continued.

"Ainar, you picked a helluva time to come home." She sarcastically said. Ainar shrugged.

"We must regroup," Steffan said.

"We are on planetary lock-down, remember?" Charles answered, looking over at his brother, Erik. Erik had been on his comm with his CorSec staff, ignoring Arie and Steffan's conversation.

"Latest news is one hundred warships exited hyperspace in our system, set off our invasion alarms and triggered response teams, and then winked out of the system. No trace of them anywhere." Erik relayed to them.

"Vector points?" Steffan asked.

"None, they targeted our radar systems before we could get a trace." Erik rattled off the news as it came to him on his commlink.

"They were showing their strength in numbers....coaxing a fight," Arie answered, analyzing the facts she had just heard.

"If one-hundred ships were within striking distance of Corellia, one of the most heavily-guarded and patrolled systems, then I hate to see what...." Ainar began.

"Coruscant! I must get in touch with Major Maxell and Colonel Turner....and my husband..." Arie immediately realized. She thumbed her comm on and punched in Maxell's secure frequency code but only got static.

She looked up at Charles. "Towers are dead...We were hit." She said numbly.

"Word coming in that Kuat Drive Yards were torn apart..... Jedi Temple breeched.....Bilbringi Shipyards hit...Storage and grain centers destroyed...Andalor's mining operations shut down..." Erik continued.

"Livda? They hit Livda's moon?" Charles asked in disbelief. "That makes no sense."

"Sure it does...Coruscant is my military home, Corellia my home away from home and Livda my permanent home...I'm surprised they didn't hit Coshack...They were trying to drive a point home with me and my husband..." Arie replied. "Speaking of which, they mention Msst, my husband's childhood homeworld..." Arie said as she punched in a code for Myk-Ron's ship.

_"I'm busy!"_ came a gruff reply.

"Well if you weren't busy playing sabacc maybe you'd be interested in the fact we were just paid a little visit." Arie shortly retorted.

"Jedi Acadamy breeched....Coruscant manufacturing totaled....Nexus Station infiltrated....Bothwui is sending in reports of enemy ships in their system....Silver Station....Ryloth..." Erik continued to report.

_"Hit by sith? Same here. Kuat yards are totally demolished."_ Myk-Ron came over the comm. _"I'm in the middle of trying to get some Jedi aboard a ship..."_

"Sounds like they hit the Corellian Run and Perlemian Trade Route," Charles commented as Erik continued to receive reports from CorSec and CorDef.

"What about Sluis Van?" Arie immediately perked up, disregarding her husband's voice for a moment.

"Nothing on that side of the galaxy was hit. Just Core Worlds and the Run and Trade Routes...." Erik answered over the comm static.

"Listen, the lead gave me a message for you...he said: ' _We have taken your temple and the Jedi within. We have taken all the Jedi in the galaxy. They all wait on a ship in the middle of nowhere for your rescue. The Sith have declared war on the Jedi. This was merely a show to convince you that we are not playing. We shall leave your Jedi where they are and we shall leave the planets you control. We will wait at Msst. There, one of the first Sith sought refuge. We invite you to come and try to wrest it from our hands. You have a month to gather your army and meet us there. We shall be waiting. If you choose not to show, we shall unleash our fleet upon this galaxy and begin taking systems one by one..._ Myk, Myk, you still there?" Arie asked as her com started to fade out.

"Lost him?" Steffan asked.

"Yea, damned batteries must be dead...he said something about Jedi aboard a ship and the Kuat Drive Yards....he must be near there," Arie answered.

"Alright, let's all get to an armored ship, we've got work to do. Steffan, get _Blue Talon_ and cloak the damn thing, wouldya? Don't want to risk losing you....You and Ainar go check out the Temple and the Academy, but be careful. I'm going to meet up with my husband and then I want all of us to meet at Livda at my house..." Arie began to lay out plans.

"Why not Cataan?" Steffan volunteered.

"Because I want you to put your family in hiding on Cataan...I will not risk the royal family by us meeting there. Livda is safer, the side of the galaxy the Sith did not seem to hit." Arie answered.

"Go in peace, my friend." Charles offered to Steffan as they shook hands.

"Force be with you, Master," Ainar said, hugging Arie.

"See you in two days at my house. Force be with you." Arie returned.

* * *

"Change of plans," Steffan told Ryneas as he walked into the pilot's cabin of White Squall with Ainar behind him. "I want you and Ainar to head for home to pick up Callista and Ter-lon. I'll go ahead and contact then on my way to Chandrila to see if the Sith attacked the Academy."

"Steffan," Ainar said softly, "I'm still not sure if it is wise for me to go there just yet."

"It'll be alright. Besides, you must see him sometime," Steffan told him encouragingly. "And you'll need to pick up the _Valiant_ from the hangar anyway...you'll need a ship."

"The _Valiant_? How did you get her?"

"I was playing a hunch when I was looking for you last year," Steffan said as Ryneas was warming up the ship. "Ran into that pirate's nest you had dropped her off at and cleared it out. She's still tuned and ready to go."

"Dad?" Ryneas called to him as he broke orbit. " _Blue Talon's_ ready for separation. Probably need to go ahead and take her out."

"Right you are," Steffan said as he patted his son's shoulder and rested the other on Ainar's. "Force be with you both. I'll let Mother know you're both on your way."

* * *

 _"You found him?"_ Jade asked on the hypercom between Cataan and _Blue Talon._

"He and Ryneas are on their way from Corellia right now," Steffan told her. "Make sure that Callista and Xan are ready to go in a few hours. Andrea can either take her X-wing or ride on _White Squall_ or _Valiant_."

 _I'm sorry daddy,"_ his daughter said as her image appeared just below the image of her mother. _"I'm not going to be able to come with you on this one."_

"Why is...." Steffan was beginning to ask before his senses and a moment of clarity hit him. Is it possible? "How far along?"

 _Three months,"_ Andrea told him. _"Edward and I just found out this morning while you were away."_

"Well...." he was speechless. He knew it was going to happen, but it still caught him off guard...the second time today even. "Then, I'm going to say that you take my future grandchild, Catharine and your mother...and make sure you're all safe with everything that's going on."

 _"Is it going to be like Rhen Var and Endor all over again?"_ Jade asked concerned.

"My love...I fear that this is going to be much worse," he told them truthfully. "Ryneas hasn't been able to reach Dilan, but I think he's alright. I'm going to try to look for him after I've finished checking things at the Academy. Arie's wanting us to meet her on Livda after that."

" _Just be careful,"_ Jade told him. _"That's all I ask because I'm not going to raise this grandchild alone."_

"I give you my word."

* * *

**Abord the Firebird – The Maw**

The last of the Jedi was secured in the cargo hold. Tables, chairs, and cushions were scrounged from the aging cruiser to accommodate all the passengers now aboard the _Firebird_.

"Thank you, Jedi Dinn," A member of the council said. "Without your assistance we would have had a difficult time..."

"Stow it," Myk sighed. "It's _Master_ Dinn to you, pal, and without my 'assistance' you would have had a lot more than a difficult time. If I hadn't flown out here and gotten you off that aging rust bucket, you and your council would end up free-floating atoms."

"Really?" The council member asked, slightly taken aback. "I don't recall the council ever granting you the rank of Master..."

"You pompous bunch of arrogant windbags," Myk fumed. "What makes you think you have the right to decide whether or not a person has mastered the Force? What makes you think _you_ have? I could show you things that would blow your mind, and you have the gall to tell me that I'm not a Master because your 'Council' never granted me the title? I was granted my rank by Luke Skywalker himself. Give me a break!" Myk stormed off before the councilmember could get another word in, and he sealed himself in the cockpit. He thought he was alone, but sensed a familiar presence in the co-pilot's chair.

"I hope you don't mind," Came the voice of Steffan's adopted son, Dilan.

"Not at all, Kid," Myk offered a weak smile. "The comm board's right there. Call your dad; I know he's probably going crazy right now not knowing where you are. Tell everyone that I've got the Jedi and we're on a course for the planet where we're meeting right now. Remind them, it's where a Jedi fought a Vong for the sake of a planet."

"Isn't that..." Dilan asked.

"Ithor," Myk answered. "Just don't say it over the comm. We don't need a tail."

"Aye," Dilan agreed as he set to work on the comm station.

Myk-Ron returned his attention to piloting the _Firebird_ , and soon the ship was rocketing through hyperspace for Ithor...

* * *

Arie hugged her grandson tightly to her as Ter-lon kissed her on the forehead after pulling out of her embrace.

"I'm so glad you weren't taken." Arie softly whispered.

“My mission had me far away from the action,” Ter-Lon shrugged. “I got your comm, and came as quickly as I could. Grand ma'ma? What about the ones who were taken?" Ter-lon asked.

"Myk-R... Your Grandfather is seeing to that. I've transmitted a new comlink code to him so he can reach us here on Livda without it being compromised." Arie answered.

“So what do we do now?” Ter-Lon asked as he and Arie inventoried their stock of weapons at the house.

Arie's commlink was chirping wildly and she grabbed it off the nearby table.

"Myk?" She asked, hoping it was him on his way home...

 _"Yeah,"_ Myk replied. _"I've got a cargo hold full of pompous councilmembers and Jedi sheep. I wanted to get to Ithor as quick as possible so we could get organized, but I've heard now that you've made other arrangements to meet on Livda?"_

"Yes."

Myk banged his head on the console. _"Why? Did you not get my message? Did you not get the code? I don't understand..."_

"Trust me, Myk-Ron," Arie pleaded. "I have weapons here. Weapons that will help in this coming war."

 _"Great,"_ Myk said, a little too sharply. _"Put them on a ship and get your ass to Ithor. The planet may be dead but the Jedi need to gather there. They need to see and feel that wound in Force. They need to come to realize a few things...and besides, Ithor is a perfect staging point for the outer rim and Msst. I should know."_ The Rogue sighed. _"Babe, I don't want to fight, we can't afford it right now. Please, just do this for me. Get a good-sized cruiser, load up these weapons of yours and call your military. Ithor needs to be our backstop in this war, where one Rogue defied a culture so shall another..."_

* * *

Steffan had finished punching up enough channels to start up a conference over the hypercomm as he was pulling _Blue Talon_ in a gentle arch to line up with his exit vector.

" _So they didn't take anyone from the academy?"_ Arie asked from her side of the call on Livda.

 _"Its location on Chandrilla isn't exactly common knowledge,"_ Ainar told her from _White Squall_ , still on Cataan. _"Nor is the fact that it's on Chandrilla."_

 _"That doesn't mean that someone that had turned Sith could have given over the location,"_ Myk answered that question from _Firebird_. _"Or just tortured one of our own for the information."_

"Well, figuring that out can wait till later," Steffan said as he finished inputting his hyperspace bearings. "You've got everyone off?"

 _"Everyone including me,"_ Dilan said from _Firebird'_ s copilot's seat. _"There's been some heated debate since then, but everyone's appreciated Myk's effort."_

"Good to hear," Steffan said as he just remembered to deliver some news. "By the way, Dilan, Andrea asked me to tell you to be ready to be an uncle pretty soon."

_"Steffan? Did I just hear you right?"_ Arie and Dilan both asked around the same time. And that had brought out a laugh from Steffan, Myk and Ainar.

"Yes, I get to see how it is to be a grandfather," Steffan told them as he was still chuckling. It was good to still be able to do that given what was happening. "I'm fixing to head to Ithor now...I suggest we all go ahead and start gathering."

* * *

**Livda**

The rain poured down from a pitch-black sky and distant lightning cracked across the cloud cover, lighting up Arie's living room for periodic brief seconds before the room was dark again.

Her husband and friends had already left to gather on Ithor, leaving her behind on Livda to finish loading her arsenal of weapons and ammo on two transports that were to be slaved together upon reaching orbit.

She had been short with her husband when he had called before picking Ter-lon up and taking him with him. He hadn't even departed from his ship to greet her. Myk-Ron had remained onboard the _Firebird_ waiting for the others to board before making a hasty retreat off Livda. Arie assumed he must be pretty sore at her if he hadn't even wanted to see her. She would make it up to him....somehow.

She shed her tunic and black pants before stepping inside the refresher. Hot water ran over her bare skin as she leaned her weight on her hands against the wall, letting the water roll down her back. She breathed deeply, inhaling warm moist air and closed her eyes.

She did not like fighting with her husband but she did not have the patience for his rogue actions like she had early in their marriage. Even though her body was younger now, her heart still felt a lifetime older...her mind filled with memories she could not forget although she may have wished them gone...

 _Father said this day would come....the suns of Coruscant were blackened as silken cloth...double eclipses a year ago...Father be with me, I don't know how we are going to win this one..._ Arie silently thought to herself as the hot water poured over her body and she turned around, leaning her back against the wall, water pouring over her face and closed eyes. She finally turned the water off and stepped out of the 'fresher, toweling herself dry quietly.

With the towel wrapped around her tightly and another smaller towel tied up in her wet hair, she crossed from the bathroom to the kitchen in her spacious house. Dank and Chann, her two hounds, followed at her heels across the kitchen floor silently as she opened a cabinet beside the fridge, locating a decanter of Coshakian whiskey. She poured herself some and quickly downed it before pouring another.

A soft whine from Dank made her look down to see her hounds silently begging, long looks upon their faces and a pleading look in their eyes.

"Oh, you two want some too?" Arie joked, knowing the hounds were not interested in whiskey but rather something from the fridge. Arie opened it and found pieces of summer Livdian sausage and tossed them to the hounds, each one quickly grabbing up the sausage and swallowing it. Arie shook her head, smiling, amused at her hounds.

 _Now I remember why I named you two after Brink's crewmen....you two are such rim rats, it's unbelievable._ Arie thought to herself as she walked from the kitchen to her bedroom and slipped a black nightgown on, the two hounds following.

Lightning flashes lit the room briefly before the clap of thunder followed. The storm had gotten closer and more intense as lightening continued to cast shadows upon the walls. The hounds whined, concerned, but Arie petted their heads, calming them.

She tied her hair up with a black ribbon and commanded the hounds to lay down beside the bed. They did as told and she slid into bed. She lay back into the arms of a black-clothed Sithly stranger whose eyes glowed red with hate and its arms closed around her tightly in the darkness...

_You will come to me....give in to your hate...._

* * *

Arie awoke with a start, drenching in cold sweat and her heart racing. She quickly looked where the sith had been laying in her bed and found nothing. No sign of anyone in her bed other than her. Lightning flashed again, illuminating her room for her to see no one was in her room. Dank and Chan lifted their heads and whined to her.

"It's alright boys....lay down." She whispered, easing herself back into the bed, shaking the feeling of the nightmare off of her.

* * *

_I may have been gone for a year,"_ Ainar said on a secured connection between _Valiant_ and B _lue Talon._ _"But I know egos when I see and hear them. Those two would even go against each other just to make sure the Sith are defeated."_

Nodding, Steffan couldn't help but agree with Ainar's take on Arie and Myk's not talking to the other and both itching to take the fight to the enemy now. "I can't fault it. But they're as needed as everyone else. ... Ainar, wouldn't you say this a dire situation?"

_"About as dire as I've seen it,"_ Ainar quietly said.

Steffan's idea started taking shape now. "Dire enough to, say, call in things that people don't know about?"

Ainar caught the drift and paused in his thinking as he considered it. _"The Beacon?"_

"I think its time to do just that," Steffan said as he sat up. "How soon can you get here and meet up?"

_"I'm about to jump for the Ithor rendezvous now,"_ Ainar answered him. _"I can be there in a few hours. What are you going to tell Myk?"_

"That we're going to be pulling in some extra help."

* * *

**Ithor**

The _Valiant_ rode through the air, following the landing coordinates for the site where a Jedi once dueled against a Vong.

Ainar set the craft down and set the engines for standby mode. He gathered his things, attached his respirator and lowered the ramp.

 _Time to feel the fire..._ Ainar walked down the ramp and shielded his eyes against the sand, there was a storm brewing.

The planet was almost dead after the Vong invasion. It was mostly sand and rocks, with a few patches of green starting to grow again. The oxygen in the atmosphere was low, but plants were starting to grow, creating more oxygen, rebuilding the planet.

"Ainar! Over here!" Steffan called in a muffled voice

Ainar looked over to where his friend was standing, covering his mouth was a similar respirator. He walked over to Steffan and shook his hand. They walked together to the temporary shelter the Jedi had built into the rock face. When they were inside they unfastened the respirators from their faces and dusted the sand off their clothes.

Ainar looked around to see if anyone was around. "You got the codes?"

Steffan nodded and handed Ainar a datapad. "It's all there, we should be able to activate the Beacon with these codes."

"Good, I just hope that thing is still operational," Ainar said, resting his backpack on the ground.

"What are you doing here..."

Ainar turned around and saw Myk standing there, arms crossed.

"Not now Myk...this can wait." Steffan responded, coming to the aid of his friend.

"I don't trust him…not one bit, that backstabbing nerf-herder," Myk spat out, moving closer to Ainar. "So you're back are you...the glorious Jedi Master, back from exile to save the day. Just don't kill one of your friends this time, alright?"

Ainar took a breath and looked Myk in the eye. "Now you listen you self centered ego-maniac, I'm back, you need my help and you know it, not because I'm special...just because I'm willing to help, and this time around we need everyone that's able." Ainar started moving slowly towards Myk, "And if you can't handle that then too bad. I don't care. I'm back, and I'm here to help."

Myk looked dumbfounded at Ainar, not sure what to say.

Steffan smiled at the two and shook his head. "Let's go Ainar, we need to hurry, and we better take the _Valiant_ for this one, the _Blue Talon_ would give us away immediately"

Ainar nodded and attached the respirator to his face.

"Myk, I'll be in contact," Steffan said as he and Ainar left the shelter.

Myk nodded back. "I'll be waiting for your call."

* * *

_Echoes of a past gone by..._

_And even though the moment passed me by_

_I still can't turn away_

_I saw all the dreams you never thought you'd lose_

_Tossed along the way_

_And letters that you never meant to send_

_Get lost or thrown away_

_And now we're grown up orphans_

_That never knew their names_

_We don't belong to no one_

_That's a shame_

_But if you could hide beside me_

_Maybe for a while_

_And I won't tell no one your name_

_And I won't tell 'em your name_

_Scars are souvenirs you never lose_

_The past is never far_

_Did you lose yourself somewhere out there_

_Did you get to be a star_

_And don't it make you sad to know that life_

_Is more than who we are_

_We grew up way too fast_

_And now there's nothing to believe_

_And reruns all become our history_

_A tired song keeps playing on a tired radio_

_And I won't tell no one your name_

_And I won't tell 'em your name_

_I won't tell 'em your name_

_I won't tell 'em your name..._

_I think about you all the time_

_But I don't need the same_

_It's lonely where you are come back down_

_And I won't tell 'em your name..._

Arie cried herself to sleep the second night she stayed alone on Livda. She had postponed her departure date due to the inclement weather that seemed to be plaguing Livda's fair-weather Jovian orbit.

She missed her husband deeply and now that she was seven months pregnant, she wished she could muster an apology and hear the sound of his voice again. Her pride, however would not let her...He had offended her position and career and she felt her husband would never understand her.

The dark nightmares of the sith haunted her dreams once more, and once more she awoke with a start, finding herself alone with her two hounds in her home. She would depart the following day if the severe thunderstorms ceased...

* * *

**Myrkr...a few days later**

"Force damn those things!" Arie cursed out loud as she stepped off of her transport ship and was hit by coldness as the Force left her senses. Her former step-brother Admiral Thrawn had come to Myrkr years before to use the ysalamari to capture Luke Skywalker....now she was gathering the lizards to defeat the Sith...

_Curse my step-brother for ever having set foot on this wretched planet!_

She had landed on Myrkr with room enough to hold at least 2000 ysalamari with nutrient frames to accompany them.

 _Now I just have to gather the damned things._ Arie thought to herself, slinging a backpack over her shoulder, a lightsaber on her belt and a blaster in her holster. She began to walk into the deep woods to locate the Force-denying lizards to take with her to Ithor in a week....

* * *

**Ithor**

The air was hot...oppressive...like the mood that had been hanging onto him for the past month it seemed. Arie had yet to show, and they'd been waiting long enough. He didn't like it, but if he wanted to have everyone's attention, this had to be done now.

Myk-Ron Dinn rose from his knees in the cargo hold of his ship. For the first time since he was a padawan, the Rogue wore full Jedi garb. His undertunic and pants were charcoal grey, his boots were black as night. The cloak he wore over the ensemble was the deepest of blacks, and yet, in the folds, one could see tiny specs of light, like stars in the blanket of space. He carried no blaster. His lightsaber hung at his side, the only piece of technology on him. The grey and black had meaning...he only hoped others would understand.

Purposefully, he strode down the ramp of the _Firebird_ and into the heat of Ithor. The planet cried in pain as it struggled to heal. The ground was black and cinders flew through the air. The place sucked the moisture out of everything that lived, and something inside Myk-Ron cried out at the thought of what this planet once was. He could hear the ghosts of the baphor trees singing a dirge on the wind. The Mother Jungle's spirit cradled the wounded planet and wept. Myk-Ron knew the Jedi were feeling the wound also...he was counting on it.

The air burned in his lungs, and he did not shunt the pain. He needed to feel what was done to this world. _They all did._

He entered the mouth of the cave and the relatively cool air revitalized his aching lungs. Jedi went about the place, trying to make it liveable, trying to be comfortable, but mostly they were just trying to stay busy. The Council gathered at the back of the cave, conversing in hushed tones. The Jedi Myk had rescued, including the Council, did not know why he had brought them here. The arrival of Steffan, Ainar, Callista, Xan and Ter-Lon had eased some of their anxiety and annoyance, but not all of it.

"Your presence is requested," Myk called out above the drone of conversation. "All of you, please, follow me. Bring only yourselves and your lightsabers, no other form of technology. It is a short walk to where we are going, respirators will only insulate you from Ithor's pain. We need to feel that, all of us."

At first, nobody moved. The Council members turned to each other and began talking once more in hushed tones. The other Jedi in the cavern looked uncertain. A great sadness welled up inside the Rogue, and, not for the first time, he found himself questioning why he was here.

"Master Dinn speaks the truth," He heard Steffan's voice ring out above the background noise. The Cataani moved to stand at Myk's right and he threw the Rogue a wink. "I shall go with him."

"Thank you, friend," Myk whispered.

"What have you got up your _unusually formal_ sleeve?"

"Something important," The Rogue answered. "It could be the difference between defeat and victory in this war."

"I will go as well!" Ainar called as he too joined Myk and Steffan at the mouth of the cavern. "I still think you're an egotistical, hot-shot, nerf-herder," Ainar whispered. "But even you can have a moment of insight now and again."

"I'm flattered," Myk-Ron whispered back. "I still think you're a pompous, straight-edged Jedi. So I guess we're even."

"I shall follow as well," Ter-Lon's voice rang out as the Knight joined the trio at the entrance to the cave. "As I believe we all should."

One by one the Jedi in the cavern gathered near the entrance to the cave, leaving behind their respirators and other gear. Eventually, everyone was gathered...including the whole of the Council.

"Thank you all," Myk solemnly said. "Follow me. Do not shunt the pain as we travel. It hurts...as Ithor hurts."

The trek was indeed, a short one, by Myk-Ron's standards. The Jedi struggled as they walked. Eyes watered and lungs burned, and the pain spread through the whole of the group like a ripple in a pond. But, soon, they were at their destination, and lungs and eyes and souls were given a respite from the pain.

In a small valley just beyond the ridge of a cliff there stood a small grove of young baphor trees. It was a sight to behold. In the midst of a barren, black, charred and lifeless landscape there stood an oasis of life. The living trees grew around a small pond in the center of the basin. As the Jedi breached the treeline they entered an Ithor that many had long since been thought dead. The pond was cool and calm and it reflected the stars overhead. The ground was soft and fertile and grass grew in the places between the trees.

Myk nodded to Steffan, who took the cue and set off around the pond in the opposite direction Myk began to walk. The Jedi followed suit and were soon in a complete circle around the water.

Myk waited a moment for everyone to get settled before speaking. _"Can you feel it?"_ The Rogue asked. "Can you feel the heartbeat of this place? Ithor was destroyed in a day. The life of the Mother Jungle ended painfully and violently that day. You felt her pain as we walked to this place, but that was a mere taste of what she has gone through. She is healing, slowly, but she is. We stand amid the only living baphor trees on Ithor. They are young, but can you not feel their strength? From the ashes of a tragedy, life grows anew...and it is stronger for it."

Myk let those words ring out around the pond for a few moments as he drew on the Force.

"Sometimes, you have to suffer," Myk said. "Sometimes you have to endure. Sometimes, someone has to die, so that others may live. Pain, death, tragedy...these things that we try so hard to avoid are the things that make us stronger. This grove is a testament to that fact. Stretch out in the Force, you will find that this small patch of green on a 'dead' planet is more alive than any other world in this galaxy."

"There is a good chance that we will lose the coming war," Myk-Ron continued. "But it is one we must fight, none-the-less. And it is one only we can fight. The forces of the New Republic cannot be involved. This war is between the Jedi and the Sith, and to involve the innocent is a crime that I won't permit. This is a Force War. The Force is seeking balance once more. As such, only those attuned to the Force will fight in it. We are few in number, but we must meet the Sith regardless. This war is necessary. It is the Ithor of the Force. From this tragedy, new life will flourish, and it will be stronger for it."

Myk let out a calming breath before taking his lightsaber from his belt and holding it so the blade would be over the water when he ignited it.

"A long time ago, when the Jedi fought to defend this world, there was a ceremony held here on the jungle floor of Ithor," Myk said. "The ceremony was a ritual allowing the Jedi to set foot in the Mother Jungle. As part of that ritual, each person had to renounce something about themselves as a sign of humility...as a sign of recognition that they were only one part of a much greater whole. What's left of the Jungle has accepted us here today, but I feel this ceremony should be repeated regardless. All of us, myself included, need to remember that we are mere specs in the grander scheme of things. We are no more significant than the flitnats that buzz in the trees or the worms beneath the earth. By giving up a part of ourselves, we will become more in tune with the Force, and I believe we will be ready for the Force War that approaches."

"I will go first, but please, jump in whenever you feel compelled to do so. Take your time and feel it out," Myk-Ron instructed. "I renounce pride. It is one thing to say that I am insignificant. It is another to truly believe it. I feel that since I've returned, there have been times when I've allowed my pride to get the better of me and because of it I have lost something. No longer shall I let my vanity dictate my actions. We are, all of us, equal through the Force. Here, today, I acknowledge and accept that fact."

Myk-Ron Dinn ignited his silver blade and held it out over the water. "In the Force, I trust."

* * *

Steffan stepped forward so his fellow Jedi could see him. He stood there for a long moment, pondering his life before him as he looked into the pond and into the faces of those that he had led into battle, and would join with them again. He stayed there for some time longer before he finally broke the silence.

"For many years, I've led this great host. And for many years, we have been tested time and again," he said as he held out his lightsaber in front of him. "This is yet another and for many, it will be our final test. And I am honored to be among you at this moment in time."

He paused and the silence was deafening as he made his vow. "I renounce responsibility. For a long time, I believed the safety of this galaxy was my burden because of the actions I have taken...to make these worlds more peaceful for my children. For my...for my grandchild to grow up in without having to face the things that we have. But, it isn't my responsibility alone. It is all of ours, and I freely share it with you now."

He pressed the button, and the blue-silver blade came alive in a loud snap-hiss that echoed in the canyon as he whispered. "So say we all."

Others in the circle repeated his words and echos of "So say we all" could be heard.

"So say we all."

Ainar took a step closer to the pond, his lungs were burning but he didn't care, he felt Mother Jungle, and she was in pain. She fought to heal herself, she was strong..but not angry. She had been hurt, but she felt no hate... Ainar looked at his reflection in the pond, saw the scar lining his face..the scar Bane gave him.

"I renounce my anger...at first it made me stronger, more powerful to deal with the death of my wife...but it only weakened me, drew me apart from my friends, my life...I know many of you are uncertain about me being here, after what I did, and you deserve to be cautious. But now, I fully give myself over to the Force...and renounce my anger." Ainar ignited his lightsaber and watched as the pond reflected green and blue, making it almost magical.

"In the Force, I trust."

One by one, around the pond, Jedi renounced bits of themselves and ignited their blades. As each Jedi let that little piece of themselves die, the group as a whole grew stronger. The Force swirled in the small grove and the water rippled before them. A veritable rainbow of colors shone reflected in the broken waves as Jedi held their blades above the pond.

When every Jedi had his or her blade in the air, Myk nodded and closed down his silver saber. "I want to thank you all," Myk-Ron called out above the hum of lightsabers. "We have felt Ithor's pain and we have found her strength. Now, we face our own tragedy."

* * *

"Where did you even _get_ those robes?" Steffan asked from across the holo-table in the lounge aboard the _Firebird_.

Ainar sipped at some caf and Ter-Lon sat at the comm station, setting up the feed for this council of war. To everyone’s joy and surprise, Callista and Xan had arrived from their mission, having heard of the troubles in the galaxy…and, they’d brought friends.

The night before, they had dropped out of hyperspace above Ithor with an old Mon Cal Cruiser in their midst. The Mandalorians had heard of the Jedi's plight and wished them a fair fight. They gave the Jedi the Mon Cal cruiser before jetting back to wherever they'd been hiding. Myk was rather pleased with the present as the whole of the Jedi council could fit aboard her, and he could fly the _Firebird_ without risking more lives than he had to. In the hangar of the Mon Cal Cruiser was another surprise, and Myk had almost felt giddy when he was told of the full squadron of XJ-3's in the old warship.

"I've had them since before you were born, pal," Myk grinned back, now wearing his familiar freighters vest, black pants and boots, white shirt, and weapons belt. "I figured they were more appropriate for what I wanted to accomplish the other night."

Steffan shrugged. "You looked almost respectable," The Cataani said.

Myk shivered. "Don't ever say that again," The Rogue whispered. "Something might explode."

Ainar and Steffan laughed and Myk threw both of them a scoundrel's smile as he took a seat across the table.

"Feed's established," Ter-Lon reported from the comm station. "We have a direct link to the cruiser."

"Good," Myk grinned. "Let's get this thing started, shall we?"

"Let's," Steffan agreed.

"Okay, folks," Myk began. "Before we get into the planning of this war, I'd just like to say one thing. That being that we shall _not_ allow any non-Force-sensitive being to get involved. This is a Force War, and the blood of the innocent need not be spilled. If someone tries to get the New Republic involved, I, for one, will not fight. Is this something that we can agree on?"

A council member stepped forward and his image became more clear through the transmission. _"We'd not have it any other way,"_ He said with a smile, and for a moment Myk's heart soared.

"Great!" The Rogue replied. "Now, we've got a month, let's get organized."


	8. Chapter 8

It went smooth, all things considered. And, the only surprise had been a welcome one. Xan and Callista had returned from the deepest regions of space, their own quest on hold for the time being. Xan brought along his personal ship and his padawan. Callista brought her padawan, and her healing expertise; something Myk feared they would be sorely needed in the following weeks.

Callista and Xan had strode into the room as the small council of war discussed hierarchy and structure. Calli cast a glance at Steffan, and a wordless exchange passed between the two. They’d need more healers, they’d need anyone and everyone they could find. With some arguing, Steffan managed to volunteer himself for a search and rescue mission at the Jedi Temple.

Callista soon found her home aboard _New Hope_ in the medical wing. Xan threw himself into helping service and maintain the small Jedi fleet, and Myk made him the “official” intelligence officer.

Things were moving if slowly, they were at least moving.

* * *

A good week had passed since Arie had landed on the forest planet of Myrkr to gather Ysalamari should they be needed in the coming Sith war.

The planet had been remotely quiet, animals and wildlife moving about the brush and trees, ignoring her presence on the planet. Without the Force to aid her, Arie found that she could not heal the scratches she endured when climbing the tall trees the ysalamari made their nests in. The lizards, although lazy and slow to move, proved to be harder to gather due to the tree heights in which they nested.

“For the love of…” Arie swore to herself as she descended a tree with two lizards on her back.

Arie brushed herself off and adjusted the pack strapped across her back. She noticed the forest had grown suddenly quiet and the birds were no longer chirping.

 _Something is watching me..._ Arie thought to herself, her hand falling instinctively to her blaster. She scanned the forest floor, her eyes squinting to see in the shadows between bushes, but without the Force, she found it was more difficult to noticed ever so slight movements of local wildlife.

Then she saw it......two Vorsnkrs were hiding in the bushes, their long tails silently whipping through the air.

 _I've got you now_. Arie thought as she silently unholstered her blaster and leveled it on the two crouching predators about two-hundred feet in front of her. She stood in the tall waving grass that was taller than she, her little tunic and robes flowing in the wind. Brink was nearby somewhere but she had lost sight of him in the tall field of grass. They were being hunted and she could hear the heavy paws and deep growls of the Thorus Sounders slowly surrounding her and Brink somewhere in the field.

"Brink! Over here! Quick, they are hunting us!" Arie called out and suddenly a hand grabbed hers. It was Brink and they took off running through the tall grass back towards the Luxkert house. A Thorus Sounder cut them off and was preparing to lunge when Arie caught the snap-hiss of a blue lightsaber blade slicing the wolf-like hound in half. She looked up to see her father, a dead serious look upon his face as he frowned at her.

_Have't I told you children that it isn't safe to play in the Forest of Linwoh? There are Sounders out here and they can easily take you down and make a meal out of you. Now get back to the house." Ter-lon Luxkert commanded, his deep brown beard hiding his displeasure at their actions._

_Arie nodded at her father and she and Brink ran back towards the house, her father following._

Arie shook the fleeting memory from her mind as she noticed out of the corner of her eye the third Vorsnkr that had been in the hunting group, lunging at her from her left flank, its claws digging into her skin and tearing it.

The weight of the animal's attack pushed her over and she fell to the ground, the creature ontop as she tried to force its weight off of her. It dug its claws in deeper, its stinging barb on its tail flicking across her legs and once across her cheek, leaving a burning whelp on her left cheek.

Arie tried to roll the beast off of her, but it was too heavy and she did not have the Force to aid her. She fought to keep its snarling teeth away from her face, enduring grazing teeth marks on her left forearm as she brought her blaster to the animal's head and shot it. The attack stopped and the animal rolled off of her with ease, being quite dead.

Arie quickly rose to a crouch and visually scanned the forest floor for the other two predators, but they were gone. She got to her feet, sharp pain hitting her as she inhaled. She laid a hand across her stomach and arms and found warm blood oozing from the claw wounds. _Great...no way to heal myself and I have to rely on a damned medkit to patch myself up with.~_ Arie thought as she walked back to her transport to fetch the medkit.

* * *

Myk-Ron Dinn rubbed his eyes and leaned back in the pilot's chair aboard the _Firebird._ He'd been staring at the numbers for hours; trying to will them to grow larger on his side of the battle...it wasn't working. They didn't even have a tenth of the Armada the Sith had conjured, and Jedi were certainly not wealthy people. The stores on the Bird had been drained within a week. Myk smiled at the memory of his friends' faces when he popped open a few of the hidden compartments aboard his ship. He had to remind them all that in another life, he had been a smuggler...and a fairly good one at that.

With the credits he'd stashed aboard his baby, they were able to purchase a run-down _Lancer_ -class frigate, another squadron of XJ-3's, and two Corellian Corvettes. Their combined "fleet" now consisted of one Mon Cal Cruiser designated _New Hope_ – it would serve as the command ship unless or until they found something better, one _Lancer_ -class frigate called _Resilience_ , two Corellian Corvettes - _Nova Burst_ and _Sun Flare_ , two squadrons of XJ-3's, the _Firebird_ , the _Valiant_ , _White Squall_ , and _Blue Talon_. They were hurting for ships, to say the least.

To top it all off, personnel was something of a shortage as well. They had just enough Jedi to run full crews on all the capital ships, the two squadrons of XJ-3's had their pilots, and the freighters could run with full crews as well...thing was, after all that, they only had enough Jedi for one more fighter squadron. How soundly they were outnumbered had never truly sunk in until Myk had gone over the numbers three times. It would take something more than a miracle to give them even a fighting chance.

The Rogue lit up a cigarette and stood, stretching. There was nothing he could do with the numbers, and staring at the console would only make him go blind. Sighing a quiet sort of sigh, he headed aft to the boarding ramp. The _Firebird_ was tucked neatly inside the Mon Cal's hangar bay for the time being to facilitate Council meetings. That, and somehow it had gotten out that Myk was a decent mechanic, which meant he got tasked with organizing the repair work needed on the old warship. It was hard work, but the sense of urgency sped it along. _New Hope_ was running strong, all her turbolasers ready for battle, and her shields holding strong.

Most of the ship was asleep as Myk strolled down the curved hallways of the cruiser. If memory served him correctly, he was heading for the officers' lounge. On a Mon Cal Cruiser, it was the only area of the ship with a view of space that wasn't a battle station.

He found it with little trouble and entered the darkened chamber. The bar rode the wall nearest the entrance and couches with low tables were spread out nearby. Towards the back of the room was a large open space usually used for ship-held dances and such. Behind this large empty bit of room was a huge transparisteel viewport that took up most of that wall. Ithor hung like a picture in the frame of the viewport, a large black ball against a black backdrop and surrounded by stars. Myk tossed the t'bac in a nearby ash receptacle and crossed the room to stand in the center of the open floor.

He could still feel the life on Ithor and its battle to spread. The Mother Jungle would return, he knew. He just wished he could help her on her path to recovery somehow...

In a way, he felt, that grove on Ithor was very much like the Jedi in their current situation; a tiny patch of green in a veritable ocean of cinder. The Mother Jungle and the Jedi were vastly outnumbered. The Jedi, like Ithor, could probably use a great deal of help.

He was about to turn and leave when something outside the viewport caught his eye. There was the slightest of flickers of pseudo-motion, and a small fleet of battleships dropped into space around Ithor. Fearing the worst, Myk bolted to the command deck, using the Force to enhance his speed. He was a back and white blur as he raced down the curved hallways of the cruiser.

He burst onto the bridge in time to catch the tail end of what he thought was a hailing call. _"...we would like to speak to him, as soon as possible."_

Two of the Councilors were at the helm of the ship, and they turned as Myk made his way forward. "Well, here he is now," One said with a smile. "Master Dinn, the commander of the fleet that just dropped out of hyperspace would like a word."

Myk used the Force and steadied his breathing before stepping up to the comm. "This is Myk-Ron Dinn," He said. "To whom am I speaking?"

 _"I am Meldroma Va'yle,"_ Came a distinguished female voice. _"Clan Matriarch of the Witches of Dathomir, and commander of the fleet you see before you. We have felt your plight_ , Conduit _, and we offer our aid."_

"Any help is more than appreciated, Matriarch," Myk-Ron replied, barely able to contain the sense of giddiness bubbling up inside him. "Might I ask where you obtained such an impressive fleet?"

 _"Much has changed on Dathomir since you and your Master last visited, Myk-Ron Dinn,"_ Va'yle answered. _"Our people have grown to love space travel and being among the stars. This fleet is my clan's home, and only a few remain on Dathomir for the sake of tradition."_

"You were there?" Myk asked in disbelief. "You remember me and my Master, Erb-Wehttam Reylas?"

The Matriarch laughed lightly. _"I would have to be very old indeed to remember such a thing,_ Conduit _. No, I was not there...but my grandmother was, and she always spoke very highly of the Jedi who came to our rescue all those years ago. We repay that debt now in your time of need. Our fleet is yours to command."_

"I thank you, Matriarch Va'yle," Myk-Ron bowed. "You honor me and the Jedi as a whole by joining us today. At your convenience I would have you and your officers join us at tomorrow's council of war to help decide how best to deploy your fleet."

 _"As you wish it,_ Conduit _,"_ The Matriarch bowed in turn. _"We shall be ready for your council tomorrow."_ The transmission ended, and Myk-Ron let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"You certainly have powerful friends, Master Dinn," One of the two Council members patted the Rogue on the back. "Perhaps we misjudged you before. You have honor, and that is something the Jedi and a Rogue can both agree on."

"And it's not even my birthday," Myk sighed, and this time it was a sigh of relief. "Ya know, I take back that whole 'arrogant windbag' thing, you guys aren't half-bad."

"Oh, it pleases us to no end that we have your friendship," The Councilor smirked.

" _And_ a sense of humor?" Myk laughed. "Where did that come from?"

Laughter echoed down the corridors as the night went on.

* * *

Myk sank into the pillows on his bunk that night with a smile on his face. He rolled over to put his arm around his wife, and his smile faded. He missed her. He'd had enough time to think things through, and while he knew that he had indeed been right about a number of things, he also knew that he could have handled it differently. He wasn't angry with her anymore, and he was ready to make up. And now that he found himself alone in his quarters aboard the _Firebird_ , he found that he was worried about where she might be and what was taking so long.

* * *

**Coruscant – Midnight – Local Time**

"Now remember," Steffan told Ter-lon as he finished making sure he had everything he needed. "Only use the comm in a state of emergency. I know no one is expecting us to be here; but with the heightened state of alert, I'm sure they're going to be keeping a lookout for stray transmissions."

"And, why don’t I just go with you?" Ter-Lon asked as Ainar came into the compartment, checking all his items. Both of them had opted to leave their robes on the ship, since it would attract unwanted attention.

"Because you haven't had any training on infiltration like this," Ainar told him, holding up a hand to stop Ter-lon's argument. "Yes, I know your father was special forces, but you still haven't undergone the tests that you need for this kind of mission."

"It shouldn't take too long for us to activate the beacon once we're in the Temple," Steffan told him as he opened the hatch. "But in any case, there's no telling what trouble is waiting for us. If you don't hear from us in two hours, be ready for immediate departure back to Ithor. If we're not back in four, get out of here."

"But Master Ka..." Ter-Lon started to say.

"I mean it, Ter-Lon," Steffan told him. "May the Force be with you."

He looked over and Ainar, who nodded and proceeded out of the ship and Steffan followed behind him and closed the hatchway. "Northeast," Steffan said as they started in a jog towards the Jedi Temple.

Slowly, the two entered the doors of the Jedi Temple. There was no telling what was left behind, so Steffan and Ainar were cautious to use the stairs and not the turbolifts.

"I know I've been out for a year," Ainar said as they hugged the wall as they went up. "So kinda run me through this again."

"After everything that happened during the invasion, Master Skywalker made good sense in thinking that the ties with other disciplines of the Force should be strengthened."

"The Fallanaasi and Jensaari?" Ainar asked as they kept an eye out for anything suspicious. Steffan nodded as he checked a door.

"What we're hoping to get to is a signal that contacts not only them but others that are separate from the order...rouges like Myk," Steffan said as they walked down the door. "We both have to enter an access code, give them the meeting coordinates for Ithor, and activate it. Once it's started, there's no way to jam the signal or shut it down."

"So it’s just a case of activating it," Ainar said as they reached the computer core. "Sounds pretty straight forward to....."

They walked into the room, but there were terminals smashed all over the space.

"Now what?" he asked as Steffan looked around.

"See if there's a terminal still in good condition," Steffan said as they started looking.

"Steffan! Here's one." Ainar called over the room as he activated a terminal with a cracked monitor.

Steffan started running over to his side when the terminal suddenly caught fire and black smoke filled the air.

Ainar jumped out of his chair and started coughing. "Nope..guess I was wrong," Ainar said grinning at his friend.

Steffan just shook his head and laughed. "This is not going very well."

"Alright, we've checked every blasted terminal in the room, and nothing, it's all ruined.." Steffan said, rubbing his temples.

"No...not exactly...." Ainar said, suddenly remembering something, he stood up and ran over to the far wall.

Steffan started moving in his direction, "What have you got?"

Ainar sat down on a chair, going through the rubble until he stopped, pulling out a spherical object.

"This..is the main terminal link," Ainar said, handing the object over to Steffan.

"So this is what links the terminal to the central core?" Steffan asked, examining the object.

"Aye, via a wireless transceiver array, encrypted with top-level access, meant for accessing data only meant for the Council."

"Yeah yeah, in Basic if you don't mind, but I get it, it's the connection to the core," Steffan said grinning.

"Exactly..and I'm pretty sure that we can find a desktop terminal in one of the offices downstairs, and I'm pretty sure I can get it to work from there," Ainar explained, gathering a few tools from a nearby drawer.

"Pretty sure?" Steffan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Pretty sure."

"My quarters," Steffan said as they started back towards the stairwell. "The computer there should still be in working order. It hasn't been that long since it'd been in use."

"I'm right behind you," Ainar said as he grabbed his comm. "Ter-lon, we're checking Steffan's quarters for a terminal. Begin prep."

_"Acknowledged."_

"Three flights up," Steffan said as they went up the staircase. "Is this seeming a little too easy still to you?"

"A bit," Ainar said as they reached the level that Steffan's quarters were on. Steffan quietly opened the door and led the way to his study and activated the terminal. He watched for trouble as Ainar began to access the files.

"Okay, we're ready," he said as Steffan came over. "After you."

"Computer," Steffan said as he started the file. "Access and execute program 'Beacon One', set rendezvous coordinates for Ithor."

_**Access code one:**_ flashed on the screen and Steffan looked at Ainar.

"Access code one...one, one, alpha, two, beta," Ainar recited and looked at the screen as he saw the request for the second code on the screen.

"Access code two," Steffan said as he went over the second group. "Two, alpha, tango, three, seven, one."

"Here we go," Ainar said right when the computer asked for the final code. "Final code?"

"Seran, nine, five, two, zeta," Steffan said as he closed his eyes. "Execute." ****

 _**Beacon One activated.....transmission commencing.....** _ ****

"Come on," Steffan muttered as they were fixed on the screen. " _Come on._ "

_**Transmission accepted....transmitting coordinates....**_

"They're getting it," Ainar said with a new sound of hope.

_**Coordinates recieved....transmission complete.**_

"Here we go," Steffan said as they both got up, but not before Ainar caught another line on the terminal.

"Steffan...."

_**WARNING: transmission detected....**_

_**WARNING: transmission detected....** _

"Whoever they are, they're on to us," Steffan said as they left the room quickly. "Ter-lon, warm them up. We're coming in, but there may be some trouble."

* * *

The Council of War with the Witches of Dathomir went well. The attack pattern of their fleet was straightforward, and, if history served any indication, very effective in a fight. Their strongest ships would fly point in a V formation with _New Hope_ nestled between the "wings" as the command ship. Myk-Ron had been asked to take command of the old Mon Cal cruiser but declined. He could still command the fleet, but he'd rather do it from the _Firebird_ , where he could also inflict the most damage on the enemy armada. In the chance that he died, the next in the chain of command would take his place, and so on. Currently, that chain put Matriach Va'yle in the position to assume command if Myk-Ron should fall.

With those matters settled, the fleet began practicing battle maneuvers and Myk made sure the pilots got plenty of sim time. The Jedi techs had come up with an excellent sim of the Sith Starfighter from the holofootage Myk and Arie had taken in their encounter with them. And, Talon Karrde had come through with the information Myk had requested. They had a fully functional Sith Starfighter aboard _New Hope_ , and the techs already knew every component. Seeing as Myk had spent the last credit he had on outfitting the fleet, Talon waived the information fee on the condition that if the ship was still intact after all was said and done, he could have the Sith Starfighter. Myk had happily agreed...looking at the numbers, he knew they were still going to be soundly beaten, but it would almost be a fight now...as opposed to an all-out slaughter.

They were going to need something more, and Myk-Ron could only hope that Steffan and Ainar were having success in their mission to find help.

* * *

"Master," A soldier called from the comm station aboard the _Executor_. "I have discovered that the Jedi are broadcasting a transmission from their temple on Coruscant."

"What is this transmission?"

"It appears to be a beacon, milord," The soldier replied. "They are calling for help. The triangulation indicates they are calling the Fallanassi, the Jenssari, and various others that we cannot account for."

"Rogues."

"Aye, milord. Orders?"

"None, soldier," The Master replied. "Let them gather all the help they can. This is to be a war. Let us show them our honor by allowing them a fighting chance. Contact our men on Coruscant and order them to stand down and return to the fleet. Relay that order to all of our soldiers."

"As you will it, milord."

* * *

Most of the organization was complete. The Jedi fleet was working well as a unit, and for the first time since this whole thing started, Myk found he had little more to do. Which gave him time to think. Arie had been gone for some time now, and it was really starting to worry the Rogue. Something wasn't right, and now that he could take a break from managing this ragtag fleet of Jedi, he was going to find out what.

He got in contact with Livda traffic control and had them send him her exit vector. From what he could tell, she'd headed to Myrkr...which had him puzzled for a bit. Why she'd visit that abandoned planet was beyond him. She hated that world. Her step-brother, Grand Admiral Thrawn had been there for a time, and she despised anything that reminded her of him...like ysalmiri...

"Damn that woman," Myk cursed when he realized what she'd done. "Going to harvest a forest's worth of furry lizards on her own..."

He called the hangar and had them prep the _Firebird_. He left Va'yle in charge of keeping the pilots in the sims, and the fleet on their toes, and he blasted out of _New Hope_ like a mynock with its tail on fire.

* * *

**Myrkr**

Myrkr hung in the blanket of space like a thousand other worlds, a bluish-green orb amidst pinpricks of light. He'd downloaded the location of Karrde's old base to the navicomputer of the _Firebird_ so he'd have some sort of bearing for searching the planet. Knowing Arie, he set up a search grid on the far side of the planet from the older smuggler's den, and, after piloting down through the atmosphere, set the computer to work flying a low grid over the area.

It was trying work, as he couldn't just reach out and sense her through the Force, and the high metal content of the forests of Myrkr made technological scanning difficult. After three hours of searching, however, the robust equipment aboard the ' _Bird_ managed to pick up a visual on a transport bearing NR markings. It was nestled in a clearing deep within the forest.

"There's my girl," Myk grinned as he took back control of the _Firebird_ and set her down next to the transport.

* * *

Arie had bandaged her wounds as best as she could with a medkit on her ship, but knew without the Force to aid her that she would need to get off-world before long in her T-wing slaved to the transport in order to heal herself without the Ysalamiri inhibiting her healing abilities.

She set the medkit down and turned to set the lizard she had been carrying on her back when the vorsknyrs had attacked her only to find a muzzle of a blaster in her face. She looked up to see what appeared to be three fringe rat trashy smugglers and a Sith adept cloaked in black in front of her. The lead smuggler had the blaster in her face.

"If you would ever so kindly hand over your weapon, General Dinn." The Sith adept hissed with venom as he stared at Arie with glowing eyes.

"Fine. What's the occasion? Couldn't get me alone in my home on Livda or was that too far out of your way?" Arie sarcastically replied, vaguely placing the face of the Sith as the one she had seen in her nightmares only a week and a half ago. She threw her blaster and her lightsaber to the smugglers feet. One of them picked up her blaster and leveled it on her. The other handed the hilt of her lightsaber to the Sith.

"On your feet." The lead smuggler said, one of his cronies jerking Arie to her feet by her elbow.

"Easy now, I'm a lady." Arie returned giving the smuggler a scowl.

"You are the New Republic's highest-ranking officer and the Phoenix, wife of the Conduit and were once known as the Wrath." The Sith answered in a cold voice.

"I may be a general, but I'm no Jedi," Arie returned, spitting her words at the Sith as the smuggler began to lead her through her transport to the boarding ramp.

"But you once were and are still considered a Coshackian Guardian and that makes you a threat to our race. We cannot allow you to reunite with the Conduit," The Sith returned evilly grinning.

"Oh, so that's your plan? Keep me stranded on a planet I hate, away from my husband, hoping I'll die of dehydration?" Arie sarcastically replied, rolling her eyes as the lead smuggler lead her out of the transport and one took out a pair of binders for her hands.

"Not dehydration...the vorsknyrs will smell your blood and come for you long before you die of thirst, Phoenix." The Sith said as he motioned for the second smuggler holding Arie to pull her hands behind her back so the third could put the binders on. She could feel one hand being locked into the binder, but before her other hand could be restrained...

"I see..." Arie began ducking low and head-butting the smuggler behind her and then landing a hard roundhouse in the third smuggler's chest, sending him flying behind her. The first smuggler who had the blaster fired off several shots but Arie quickly backflipped away from the blasterfire, avoiding any fatal hits. Once near shot grazed her right shoulder, but was not a serious wound.

She back sprung off her hands once more and landed on her feet, her right hand quickly pulling her tikki blade from her left boot and turning over her left shoulder, she threw the blade at the smuggler with the blaster, the blade landing neatly in his throat.

He dropped the blaster as blood began to flow from the wound in his throat and out his mouth. He desperately clawed at his throat to remove the blade but was unable to and quickly fell into shock from blood loss, falling to the ground.

She pulled her secondary blaster that she kept hidden in her right boot cuff and fired at the second and third smugglers who were picking themselves up off the ground and searching for their blasters in their holsters. They were slow enough to unholster their weapons that Arie's shots hit them before they could look up to notice the weapon in her hand.

She rose to her feet and turned to face the Sith, but he was gone. She did a quick 360-turn but saw no trace of the Sith or where he had disappeared to in the forest.

Arie strode over to the three dead smugglers that had obviously been hired by the Sith to capture her and leave her for dead on Myrkr. She bent over the one with the blade in his throat and she planted one boot on the dead man's chest and bent down to extract the blade. Wiping the blood on her pant leg, she resheathed the knife in her left boot where she always kept it and walked over to the second smuggler. She riffled through his vest and found her blaster.

"I believe this is mine." Arie said to no one, holstering her weapon. She found the binder key and removed the binder that had been cuffed on her left wrist. The binders fell atop of the dead man and she walked back to the ship to recover her pack.

Without warning, she was pushed to the forest floor, a male Vornskr digging its claws into her right shoulder deeply and its teeth into her left arm as she moved into a defensive position. She wrestled with the beast, desperately trying to get a boot up under the creature's belly to kick it off of her. She managed to get her boot where she wanted, but the creature suddenly moved and she was forced to wrap her legs around the Vornskr's throat and with a quick move of her tightened thigh muscles and a sickening crack, the creature's neck broke and she pushed the dead animal off of her, breathing hard.

"Damn this wretched planet and its creatures to hell!" Arie shouted out-loud, sending a flock of local birds into the air from the nearby treeline. She brushed herself off and touched her shoulder and rib wounds tenderly, finding the claw marks deeper this time. She pulled a small suture kit from her pack and with a sterilized needle and several winces of sharp pain, she managed to put five stitches into her gaping side wound over her ribs and two in her shoulder. She knew the stitches would not hold for more than a day, but that would be long enough to finish gathering ysalamiri and then get off-world where she would have the Force to aid her healing.

_Now...enough disturbances for one day...back to harvesting those furry bastards..._ Arie thought to herself, swinging the pack back over her left shoulder to avoid putting weight on her right where the stitches were freshly sewn. She began walking back into the woods and found another conifer tree that the lizards frequented.

* * *

Arie stumbled over a tree root that had so sneakily jumped out and grabbed her foot. The trek was bad enough, and, combined with the amount of blood she'd lost, she found she was getting a bit dizzy. The transport wasn't far now, and, after steadying herself on a nearby tree and dumping the two ysalamiri she'd been carrying, she set off once more.

A twig snapped somewhere off to her left and she froze in place. Her deadly friends had returned. The smell of blood from her make-shift sutures had attracted them, and as she strained her ears she could make out the raspy cackle-purrs of at least four Vornskrs. She could almost see the clearing ahead, but she dared not move lest she give away her position completely.

She tried desperately to steady her ragged breath, but the exertion of the trek and the blood loss was starting to get to her. She silently swore to herself, wishing the Force was there to aid her. There was nothing for it. If she stayed put, it would only be a matter of time before the beasts found her. Bolting would let them know exactly where she was, but if she could just make it up the ramp of the transport she would be safe.

 _C'mon girl, just like out-running the Sounders back home...You did it before, you can do it again._ Arie told herself. But the sickening realization that she had been a small child, with a lightsaber on her belt and the Force to aid her speed, reminded her that she was on her own now with no help. It would be life or death...

A sharp twinge of pain from her left rib wound reminded her that blood was still seeping through the stitches. Her mind made up, she took a calming breath and ran for it. Instantly, the low cackle-purrs from before erupted into all-out howls as the Vornskrs picked up her trail.

 _They were close._ She could hear their feet as they chased her, but the clearing was in plain sight now. If she could just hold on for a few more minutes... Suddenly, one of the beasts leaped out of the tree-line in front of her and blocked her path. She began to couch to flip over the animal, but stopped. She was surrounded. Five of the creatures now circled her, pawing the ground, their tails whipping through the air silently.

Slowly, she drew her blaster, trying to make as little noise as possible. But her hands were shaking with fatigue and the beginning signs of shock, and there was a distinctive clink as the barrel bumped against a buckle on her belt holster. One of the Vornskrs charged, and she raised her blaster as quick as she could but knew it was going to be close. Her eyes closed in anticipation of the pain she knew she was going to endure...they opened just as fast when she heard the whine of a heavy blaster being fired. A familiar blaster.

The beast that had leaped at her hit the ground hard and rolled about a meter, very much dead. At once, the remaining four beasts turned to where the shot had come from. Silhouetted against the light of the setting sun was a man, and, from Arie's standpoint, it looked like he was coaxing the animals to follow him. The Vornskrs were quick to oblige and charged the man where he stood. Two shots took down the first two beasts, and then the other two were on him. He ducked the leap of the first and there was the distinctive snap-hiss of a lightsaber being ignited.

The world felt like it was spinning as Arie tried to focus her eyes on the man before her, watching as the four beasts charged head on with viciousness and venomous tails flying. Arie began to stumble toward the transport, her blaster still in her hand. Head swimming, she vaguely recognized the color of the newcomer's blade as one of the beasts lunged toward him.

A silver blade ripped through the flesh of that beast and it landed in a crumpled heap behind the man. The last one went to slash at this strange newcomer, and lost a paw to the silver blade of his saber. With a howl, the last Vornskr took off with its tail between its legs. Arie managed to stumble a few meters forward to the transport before the world spun into dark oblivion and she felt herself hit the hard ground, going unconscious.

* * *

He'd patched her up as best as he could with the supplies he'd found on the transport. She lay on one of the bunks in the small crew quarters, for all intents and purposes, asleep. Her breathing was normal, and the wounds had all began to clot. She'd be fine after a day or two of rest, or a Jedi healing trance. He knew once he got her back into open space away from the ysalamiri, the Force would return to her and she would heal herself in no time. She was just exhausted. She had been unconscious for over three hours and Myk-Ron was worried that she might have suffered a concussion from the fall to the ground.

He had wet her lips with cool water and removed her ripped clothing to better clean and dress her wounds as well as inspect for signs of infection. He found none, save the wound in her right shoulder. It was deep and beginning to show redness and swelling, signs of a bacterial infection setting into the deep claw marks. He found a syringe with a strong dose of Republic antibiotic and injected her left hip with the needle. The medicine would ward off any further infection and help fight the one she was sustaining.

Myk-Ron placed a cool towel on her forehead and stroked her hair. Her eyes fluttered open, and he smiled down at her. "Always getting yourself into trouble, huh?" Myk whispered.

"Follows me like a plague," she replied with a small grin. The realization that her husband was there with her, soothed her worried mind. She could feel the wounds and the tightly dressed bandages on her arms, shoulder, and ribs as she breathed, but the feeling of her husband sitting beside her on her bunk made the pain a small comparison. She smiled at him, her eyes half-open from exhaustion. "Hello, my Rogue." she breathed out, laying her hand in his.

"Hi, Princess."

* * *

**A day later in orbit above Myrkr. Arie's transport in slaved-transmitted orbit below the Firebird.**

"I'm just saying I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean for us to split up over it. I just want you to take time off from work...you are pregnant after all." Myk-Ron said, Arie sitting up in the bunk and re-taping her bandages.

"You know me, love...I just can't do that...When I contact Maxell and the fleets to arrive at Ithor..." Arie began.

"No military. No civilians. Just Jedi." Myk cut her off. Arie looked up from her place on the bunk.

"We are greatly outnumbered and they have already flanked us...it would be a..." Arie started again.

"A losing war. That may be, but it is _our_ fight, no non-Jedi. I won't have their blood on my hands," Myk-Ron argued.

Arie sighed in defeat. There was no way around it, and she still didn't quite have the energy to argue the point. Aside from that, she was done arguing. Being apart had only reminded her how much she loved the Rogue, and how much his stubbornness was just another part of him that she loved.

He gently laid a hand on her left shoulder, being sure not to touch her stitches. She had been slowly, but aggressively healing them with Coshackian techniques, but did not wish to be put in a healing trance.

Arie took his hand from her shoulder and laid it on her abdomen. She smiled at him when a look of surprise crossed his face. He could feel through the Force the tiny heartbeat of the child growing within her. It was too soon for the child to begin kicking yet, but the midicholorians were there and growing strong. "It's going to be a girl..." Arie whispered to her husband. He smiled and kissed her.

"My little princess..." Myk-Ron softly said, laying a hand on his wife's cheek as he kissed her.

* * *

**Coruscant – Jedi Temple**

Steffan and Ainar boarded the ship at a quick pace.

"How did it go?" Ter-Lon asked as the two came into the cockpit, Ter-Lon had already lifted them from the Temple landing pad.

"It’s sent," Steffan said as they leaned into the chairs that were in the cabin. "Let’s get back to Ithor and wait."

* * *

**Ithor**

"We're there, hon," Myk called from the cockpit. "Come see what I did while you were off collecting lizards."

They had left a good portion of the furry little beasts on Myrkr, cramming four in the aft cargo hold of the ship. They lizards really didn't bother Myk-Ron much. They just negated the Force, and he had lived without it for the first fifteen years of his life. He knew what it was like to be normal, and he could survive just fine. He also knew how the Jedi, and other Force-users felt about them. To those who grew up in the Force, being near one was like going blind and deaf all at once.

Arie came into the cockpit laughing. "Come see what you did?" She asked between laughs. Then she looked out the forward viewport. "By the stars! Where did you find all of those?"

Fifty-seven capital ships hovered in space around Ithor, three of which Myk-Ron owned. They sat in a perfect cone formation with _New Hope_ nestled inside, and Myk grinned. Va'yle must have been keeping them on their toes.

"Well," Myk replied. "To be honest, fifty-four of them found _me_. I had enough cash aboard the _Firebird_ to buy two Corvettes and a _Lancer_ -class frigate."

"Where did they come from?"

"You mean the fifty-four?" Myk asked. "They came from Dathomir. Apparently, they're descendants of a clan of witches Master Erb and I rescued all those years ago..."

Arie studied the scene for a few more moments before shaking her head. "It's still not enough."

"I know," Myk sighed. "But it's something. We've got two more weeks to build up, and Steffan and Ainar have gone on a mission to find more help."

"They'd better hurry it along."

"I know."

Arie took the copilot's seat as Myk eased the ship through the formation and into _New Hope_ 's hanger bay. The two squads of XJ-3's had been moved to two of the forward gunships for quicker deployment. Which made for plenty of landing space in the old Mon Cal cruiser.

"Welcome aboard the Mon Cal cruiser, _New Hope_ ," Myk smiled as he shut down the engines. "Command ship for this little ragtag fleet."

"This is my flagship?" Arie asked as she peered out the viewport at the interior of the hangar. It had seen better days...much better days.

"Actually, no," Myk replied as he got up from the pilot's chair. "I guess, technically, this is _my_ flagship. Even though I'll be commanding from the _Firebird_."

"Excuse me?"

"I know it's a bit unorthodox, but I want to be somewhere where I can do the most damage and still lead this little expedition," The Rogue said as he headed down the boarding ramp. A couple of the Jedi mechanics nodded in his direction. He threw them both a sloppy salute.

"No, nerfherder," Arie said as she caught up and fell in step with Myk-Ron as he continued into the corridor outside the bay. "You said this was _your_ flagship?"

"Yeah..."

"You're commanding this fleet?"

"Is there something wrong?" Myk asked as he opened the door to the quarters he'd been using on the cruiser.

"Don't you think there's someone a bit more qualified here?" Arie asked as the door slid shut behind her.

"Look, babe," Myk replied as he lit up a cigarette. "This isn't your navy. These aren't your people. Hell, we don't even have a system of rank we're going by. I got the job partly because the council thought it was a good idea, partly because I've been the biggest contributor of ships (by proxy) to this fleet, and partly because I've been organizing this thing from day one. Switching leadership now wouldn't just be difficult, it would probably be detrimental to the war effort."

"But you don't know the first thing about leading a fleet," Arie protested. She looked around the room she and Myk were in. "You don't even know where the command quarters are on this ship!"

Myk arched an eyebrow. "I don't know a thing about leading?" He asked. "I was a Commander, babe. I lead my squadron through fifty missions with only five casualties. Name one person, besides Wedge, who could do that well. And, I know these aren't command quarters. I had some men clear that over-sized apartment out and refit it as a mass briefing room."

"You're leading me on..."

"I'm sorry, princess," Myk sighed as he tossed the cigarette in an ashcan. "I'm not."

"Tell me I'm your second in command at least," She said.

"Actually," Myk hesitantly replied. "The Clan Matriarch of the Dathomir Witches, Meldroma Va'yle, already has that position...and by the looks of things, she's done a great job so far."

"So what would you have me do?!" Arie asked, exasperated.

“First, calm down," Myk replied. "I don't know what I want you to do just yet aside from that. Things don't work like they do in the Navy around here. Everyone chips in wherever they can. I may be in command of this fleet, but I'm also a mechanic, a janitor, a medic, a communication tech, a pilot, and, sometimes, a cook."

"Okay, hotshot," Arie said with her arms folded and a stern look on her face. "How do you plan to effectively employ project Alpha in this coming war?"

"Well, first, I'm going to have to know what 'Project Alpha' is," Myk replied. "We can go over full schematics and technical readouts in the council of war tomorrow. I can tell you right now that if it's any kind of bio agent we are _not_ using it."

Arie wasn't happy, that much he could see in her stance.

"Look," he soothed. "It's been a long day for both of us. We're running on Ithorian time here, which means the council will be meeting in about nine hours. I think we both could use a little sleep before then."

"Fine," Arie said as she kicked her boots off and unstrapped her gun belt.

"Oh, and after the council, you and I are going dirtside."

"What the hell for?"

"You'll see," Myk replied. "Don't worry, it's important."

 _"Oh goody,"_ Arie rolled her eyes.

* * *

"Coming out now," Ter-lon announced as the rest entered the cabin. The fleet was still holding a good formation, from Steffan's impression, which was a good sign.

"Any word of Myk?" he asked.

" _Firebird_ landed with a ship in tow an hour or so ago," Ter-Lon told him as he pulled up the channel to _New Hope_. "Arie's there with him now."

"Now what in the Force had Master been up to for so long?" Ainar started asking as they approached.

"Mykyr," Steffan said as he stepped back a moment. "Ter-lon, stay clear of your grandmother's shuttle when you land."

"Ysalamiri?" Ainar asked with concern.

"A _lot_ of them," Steffan answered as they landed inside _New Hope's_ landing bay and started opening the hatch.

"Better get used to it," Dilan yelled from the deck as the four started to make their way down from the ship. "She's got some kind of purpose for them, but kriff if she's not telling the rest of us."

"Well, she always has a reason," Steffan said as he slung his pack over his shoulder. "How's everyone else holding up?"

“Spirits are pretty good," Dilan said as they walked down the deck. "Ryneas is doing some maintenance on _White Squall_ right now. Andrea's staying with mother and Catharine and Edward's looking after all of them."

"Just as long as he doesn't overdo it," Steffan joked.

Dilan laughed and added to it. "I think Andrea said something about him keeping a squadron of Nighthawks on standby...but I don't know if she was joking or not."

Ainar couldn't help but wince and laugh at the same time. "I think your son-in-law is going to be just like you along with his father, Steffan."

"Actually, I was thinking he'd have kept a battlegroup in orbit," Steffan chuckled.

“Actually," Dilan said, looking over the group. "Since Master Dinn didn't want anyone but Force-users in this fight, our home fleet doesn't know what else that they can do...so, they're staying in our systems. The second group is actually in orbit of Cataan and the forest moon Catain."

"Sounds like he's pretty serious," Ainar said as they exited the hangar deck.

"He's Cataani alright," Ter-lon joked, then started getting a look from Dilan. "Hey, it’s all in good fun. You said the same about me the other day about my parents."

"Aye, I did," Dilan said as they walked. "Oh, by the way, Dad...council meeting is set for a few hours."

"Well, we slept on the flight in," Steffan said as he stood there. "I want to put my mobile suit through a diagnostics before things happen."

"I went ahead and did it three hours ago," Dilan said as he stretched. "I'm so used to Commenor time, Ithor time just hasn't suited me yet. But anyway, Myk's wanting to hold it in the new briefing room he set up."

"Alright, in a few hours then."


	9. Chapter 9

The war council went well enough, and it was good to have Arie there, but things were still tense between the Rogue and the Phoenix. She was immensely unhappy about not having a command, and he was still harboring some resentment for the government that she’d given her life, and their son to.

He saw glimpses of the woman he’d married, but the woman she’d been replaced with was still mostly in charge.

Brink showed up a day or two after the council, and Myk was glad to have the smuggler along for the ride, but he knew how it would look to the others after he’d made a big speech about not involving non-Force-users. So he’d made a show of being reluctant. They were still looking down the losing end of a fight, and Myk didn’t like to lose.

* * *

In the hangar of _New Hope_ there was a loud crash, followed by an equally loud _zap_ , which was then followed by a stream of curses that would make a Hutt blush. Myk-Ron Dinn stumbled down the boarding ramp of the _Firebird_ amidst a cloud of black smoke. The ventilation in the hangar kicked in and the acrid cloud quickly cleared away. Fuming, Myk kicked a landing strut and quickly wished he hadn't as pain shot up through his big toe. Cursing once more, he hobbled over to a stack of parts crates, sat down, and lit up a cigarette.

"You know, those things can kill ya," Steffan said as he crossed the hanger to where Myk sat scowling at the _Bird_.

"Not if she doesn't first," Myk replied, nodding towards his ship.

"Troubles with the _Bird_?"

"She's… _old_ ," Myk said, making the word a curse. "I'm trying to squeeze some more power into the shields so Arie will be more protected, but everything in her is already over-hauled so much that I'm beginning to think I've reached her limit."

"Tried rerouting power from the engines?" Steffan asked as he sat down. "She's the fastest ship in the fleet as it is; surely she could stand a minor downgrade in speed..."

"Thought about it," Myk answered shaking his head. "Problem with that is the engines run too high to siphon off just a little energy. I tried rerouting a bit and the superconductor wire flash-fried..."

"I was wondering what caused that zapping noise," Steffan grinned.

"Oh, no," Myk sighed. "The wiring just melted and burned some insulation, causing the black smoke. I couldn't see a thing. The zap you heard was me fumbling around and bumping into the reverse power coupling."

"Ouch," Steffan winced.

"At least I know it _works_ ," Myk said as he put out his cigarette and threw the butt into a trash bin. He began walking back up the ramp and Steffan followed. He found the Rogue in the aft engine room, his feet sticking out from the crawlspace he was in. "If you're going to keep talking, do me a favor and hand me that hydrospanner," Myk said as he pulled back a few wires.

"Sure," Steffan replied, handing Myk the tool. "What are you doing now?"

"I'm just going to put her back together," Myk replied, his voice muffled. "I'll just make sure Brink keeps her a safe distance from the heat of things."

"Well, what are the shields running at now?"

"Just over two-hundred percent..."

" _What?_ " Steffan exclaimed.

"I know, I should be able to squeeze more out of her...maybe I'm just losing my touch..."

"Are you _crazy_?" Steffan asked, incredulous.

"Yes," Myk replied. "But that's beside the point."

"No, I mean how did you manage that?" Steffan knelt next to the opening in the wall and peered inside. Myk was up to his eyes in wiring and grease. "You put a blockade runner shield generator in this thing?"

"Transplanted corvette generator actually," Myk answered as he spliced together a couple of wires. "Damn near had to take it apart and rebuild it inside the _Bird_ to get the thing to fit."

"And you're worried that Arie won't be well enough protected? This thing has to be the safest place in the fleet!"

Myk shrugged or at least tried to in the cramped space he was in. "My wife, my daughter, and my best friend are going to be in this hunk. She'd damned well better be. Give me a hand?"

Steffan grabbed hold of Myk's out-stretched hand and pulled the Rogue out of the compartment. "Speaking of that..." Steffan began.

“I know, I know," Myk cut him off as he bolted the wall panel back in position. "But, for Brink, I've made an exception. The man's a hot hand on a stick, and Arie's never really been able to fly the _Bird_...in fact, no one has. But I trust Brink, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather have taking care of my three girls."

"Three?"

Myk patted the wall of the engine room. "First girl I ever called my own."

"Oh."

The Rogue picked up his tool kit and headed for the cockpit.

"Wait, that's not what I meant," Steffan said as he caught up with Myk. "It's Arie," He said. "You two haven't really been getting along recently, and...well...I know it's none of my business, but I hate to see you two like this. You're both miserable."

"Let me ask you something," Myk said as he sat down in the pilot's chair and began flipping switches. "Let's say that for some reason you and _Blue Talon_ get separated from the main battle group. Now let's say you're led to Force-knows-where before they hit your reactor core and everything goes nova. You're lost, stranded, and, for argument's sake, mostly dead. What do you do?"

"Well, I'd try to find a way back," Steffan replied cautiously.

"You know where this is going," Myk said. "I fought my way back from hell to get to her. Do you know how much it hurts when a ship explodes with you in it? I should have just let myself die, but I couldn't leave her. So, I fought my way back and finally made it only to find that the woman I married didn't exist anymore. I should have called it quits then, but no, like a fool, I clung to the hope that I could bring her back. You saw it. It was killing me, but I worked every minute just trying to get her to remember.

“I channeled enough Force energy to give her back the body she had when I met her. I probably shaved off ten years of my life that night, but damned if I cared. I gave us both a brand new start. Look at me. Look at her. We're in our twenties...again! But, did it help? Yeah, for a little while she had her fire back. For a moment, she remembered who she was, but only for a moment. It's like she's not even there. It's like my wife is dead, and someone is playing a really nasty joke on me and the punch-line is that I can do everything in my power and more and it still won't matter."

For the first time, Steffan noticed the dark around Myk's eyes and the fact that it wasn't grease.

"I haven't slept in a little over three days, now," Myk said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I asked her if she wanted to have a night on the town when I first got back. Ya know what her answer was? She said that she thought she might have a dress she could wear...The only dress I ever remember her wearing was her wedding dress. The old Arie would have slid into those blaze pants of hers, hiked up some boots, strapped a blaster on her side, and flown with me down to the heart of the red-light district. It used to be us against the galaxy...now, all she can think about is her kriffin' job. Who's half-witted, nerf-brained idea was it to put her in charge of the Republic's joint military forces anyway?"

"I don't know..." Steffan quietly replied. "But she is well-suited for the position...No one else has her experience..."

" _Krif_ it," Myk spat. "I liked her better when she didn't outrank me."

"You were gone for almost _fifty_ years, Myk," Steffan said. "That's a long time...and...well...people change..."

“ _Krif_ it! I know that!" Myk slammed his fist into the side of the console. Flesh ripped and blood marked the spot where his fist had connected...blood, and Steffan was surprised to see a dent in the console as well. The Rogue stood up slowly and flexed his bloodied hand a bit.

"I'm sorry, Steffan," He sighed and shook his head.

In a moment, he was back to his normal self, and Steffan came to realize something then. All the smart-ass remarks, the cockiness, the bravado...all if it was for show. It was a screen Myk-Ron could put up so others wouldn't know what was going on backstage. It was a barrier he'd created to keep people from seeing what went on inside his head.

He threw Steffan a trademark grin. "I'm heading for the officer's lounge," Myk said. "Brink owes me a drink. After that, Arie and I are going dirtside. She missed the mass ceremony we had in the grove. I'm going to hold a private one for her before the Witches have theirs. Any luck with finding more help, by the way?"

"The beacon has been lit," Steffan replied as he followed Myk back out into the hanger. "With any luck, new arrivals will be joining us tomorrow."

"Good," Myk smiled. "We'll hold a meeting at 20:00 tomorrow. Va'yle's been doing a good job of keeping the fleet on their toes, but I want to get some practice melees in before we set out. The meeting will get any newcomers their assignments and then the command staff can go over some practice scenarios for the fleet."

"Aye, commander," Steffan threw a lazy salute which Myk returned as he began to stride off.

"And, Myk-" Steffan called after the departing Rogue.

Myk turned.

"If you need anything..."

"I know," Myk-Ron smiled. "Thanks, Steffan." And, he disappeared around the corner.

"Any time," Steffan said to no one in particular. With a bit more on his mind than when he entered the hangar, Steffan left and headed back towards the hangar that held _White Squall._

* * *

"Dad?"

"What is it?" Steffan said as he leaned up from his bunk on board _White Squall._ There was enough room for everyone on board _New Hope_ , but Steffan, Dilan and Ryneas opted to stay quartered in their ship so any extra room on the flagship could be used to hold extra supplies or be converted over for medical use....because there was sure to be a lot of wounded in this fight.

"We got a signal from a new group that just arrived," Dilan said as he came into the berth. "The Jensaarai are asking to speak with you."

"They came in much faster than I ever thought," Steffan said matter-of-factually as he got up and grabbed his cloak. "How far out are they?"

"They've got twenty ships coming into the formation right now and a shuttle is bringing the Saarai-kaar over to see you right now."

"Not much time," Steffan said as he made sure he was presentable. Wouldn't do to greet the leader of another discipline looking like you'd just woken up...which he had just done.

* * *

"How long have they been talking," Ainar asked as he walked up to Dilan.

"They've been at it for over an hour," Dilan said moments before the doors started to open and Steffan walked out from the hanger deck. The sounds of the Jensaarai's shuttle was already getting quieter from it leaving the ship. "What is it?"

"They know the situation and understand that the Sith can be just as much a threat to them as they are to us," Steffan said as he leaned against the bulkhead. "They'd be honored to join up with us."

"That's good news," Ainar said as Myk came up. "They're joining up."

"Great," Myk said with enthusiasm as he hung with the three. "Any news from the Fallanaasi?"

"The Saarai-kaar said they've been able to keep in better touch with the Fallanaasi than we have been able to," Steffan said with a sigh. "They've been keeping to their pacifistic path stronger than I ever expected. But she did say that the Fallanaasi were sending a ship to talk with us."

"Don't expect the worse just yet," Ainar said to Steffan and Myk both. "They may not know the entire situation just yet."

* * *

**New Hope – Forward Fighter bay**

"Try it now." Ryneas said from inside the cargo bay of an X-wing.

"Nothing," the other Jedi sitting in the cockpit said after trying to activate a few systems. "Screens are still blank." A few moments after that, a few sparks could be heard under the fighter, followed by a few choice words being yelled.

" _Spast_ it," Ryneas yelled as he jumped out of the hatch in a hurry. "Of all the...."

"Sounds like me when I used to manage some of these things," Brink said as he walked up. "What's the trouble?"

"The main screens for navigation and targeting went down after the last training flight," Ryneas said as he climbed back into the cargo area of the X-wing. "I've been trying to make sure that the system was getting enough power and now I've found out that the circuitry was exposed to something. Blast, what I'd give to have Viper here right now."

"Viper?"

"My sister's astromech," Ryneas said as he came back out with a circuit board. "But he and her XJ3 are in the hangar at home and she wouldn't let me bring either with me."

"Well, older sisters can be like that," Brink said.

"Especially older sisters that are close to four months pregnant," Ryneas said, causing Brink to laugh at the thought. "What brought you down here, anyway? I thought you and Master Dinn were going to make sure everything was alright with the _Firebird_."

"Well, here's where I become a father and start threatening you," Brink said as he laid a datapad down next to Ryneas.

"Ereena?" Ryneas asked as he looked over at Brink. "I didn't know she sent me a message."

"She put it together after she found out that the Jedi were incommunicado," Brink said as he fixed Ryneas with a stern face. "Just as long as you two have been...."

"Captain Cadre," Ryneas said before the thought was finished. "No disrespect, but you know my father well enough to know he taught me right."

Brink nodded as he tossed the pad over. "I knew you'd say that."

"Besides," Ryneas said as he grabbed the replacement circuit and hopped into the X-wing's compartment. "Ereena and I are still just friends right now...our choice."

"Let me give you a hand," Brink said as he walked up to the ladder and pointed to the other younger Jedi. "Climb on out, rookie! Let an old hand with these things see what can come up with while he's fixing the system."

* * *

The brief with the Jensaari went as well as could be expected. They wanted full command of their section of the fleet, basically doing whatever they felt whenever they felt like it, but still fighting on the side of the Jedi. What they got was third in command and free reign of the right wing of the formation. It took some doing, but after an hour’s worth of talking and a few minor concessions, things were straightened out and the fleet was ready for some more formation drills by the end of the day.

The Jensaari had brought in twenty dreadnaughts, which brought the total to eighty-seven capital ships...a third of the Sith fleet. They were closer, but still outgunned by a long shot. Especially considering the three SSD's in the Sith armada equaled about twenty of the Jedi's capital ships in terms of firepower. How they'd managed to revive the _Executor_ and the _Lusankya_ was beyond Myk, and where they found a third SSD was even more mind-boggling. But guessing at those unanswerable questions would get the Rogue nowhere, and he left that to after the war.

There were twenty fighter squadrons in the fleet now at twelve ships apiece, and he'd already arranged them in his datapad from strongest to weakest. They'd be pairing up the squadrons in the battle, so Myk assigned each strong unit a weaker one. They'd evened out nicely and the pilots weren't grumbling too much about the five practice melees a day. The techs on the other hand...well, they'd just have to get used to it. Chances were they'd be doing mid-battle repairs throughout the fight just to keep fighters in the fray.

It was a lot to think about, running a fleet, but he'd led his squadron right when he was a Commander. It wasn't too big of a step to Admiral...just more people and bigger toys.

"Hey, rimrat!" A familiar voice called up the ramp of the _Firebird_. "Permission to come aboard?"

Myk smiled a bit as he bolted the last wall panel back into place. He'd put everything back together, deciding he'd gotten all that he could and more out of the old girl. "Granted, laser-brains!" He called back. "I'll be in the lounge in a second!"

Brink had his boots kicked up on the holo-table when Myk walked in with a couple of glasses of Corellian Whisky. He set one in front of Brink and took a seat across the table.

"Well, at least you still know how to treat a boarding party," The old smuggler smirked as he gulped down some of the ale. "Damn, Myk! Where'd you get this stuff...or should I ask _when_?

Myk took a sip of his own and let it sit on his tongue a bit before swallowing. The burning sensation warmed him from the inside out as it slid down his throat. "Ten years before my last mission with the Blades," Myk answered with a smile. "And I picked it up in Coronet City, Treasure Ship Row back when the place was still a smuggler's heaven."

"What's the occasion?" Brink asked, looking at his glass in profound awe.

Myk sighed, sadly. "Last bottle I had on the _Bird_ ," He said. "Not many Jedi keep stores of alcohol on them...anyway, what brings you down to the hangar this fine...um...evening? Night? Morning? Day?"

"Afternoon, actually," Brink replied. "If you're running on Ithor time, and I'm here for a couple of reasons, really. I just finished helping one of Karrde's boys with a twitchy XJ on my way to find you."

Myk lit up a cigarette. "Yeah? What were the reasons?"

"Well, first, you've gotta show me how to manage this beast of yours," Brink grinned. "I remember what it's like to fly her, but it was a long time ago and I'm sure she's only gotten more finicky in her old age. When you go dirtside, and I know you will, I want to be able to put her through her paces."

"All right," Myk smiled. "We can take her out to an asteroid field about half a lightyear outside the system, but that'll have to wait till tomorrow. Tonight, I'm taking Arie dirtside on Ithor..."

"Which brings me to the other reason I'm here," Brink finished his glass and set it down on the table. "She thinks she's losing you, Myk. Says you've been angry with her a lot more recently, and that you're not really talkin' to her. What's going on, anyway? When you got back we couldn't separate the two of you for half a minute...now...well...it's like you don't even know each other."

"You may be closer to the mark than you know, Brink," Myk sighed. "She's not losing me. You know as well as I do that I couldn't leave her. And, I'm not angry with her either...I'm just... frustrated. Sometimes I feel like she doesn't even know me anymore, and others I feel like she doesn't even know herself anymore. I'm trying, buddy, I really am, but...well...I dunno..." The Rogue stood and paced the lounge.

He took another drag off his cigarette before speaking again. "It's like this: Arie and I were together for nearly sixteen years when I took off on that last mission. It's a long time to be together and grow together, but it was cut short anyway. We were still in our prime, then, both of us. We both still had the fire, the strength, the passion of two kids in love. You were there. You know we never slowed down...and then I got shot down in a firefight. Arie and I never had the chance to 'settle down' together. And, that's the last thing I remember about us. It was always 'us against the galaxy.' To go from that, to what it is now...I dunno, it's like a shock to the system. And, it hits every time we're together."

Myk tossed the finished cigarette in the trash compactor. "So I tried to fix the problem. I tried to give us a fresh new start. We are in our mid-twenties again, pal, in every sense of the word. I thought that by bringing us back to our prime, she might remember what it was like when we started out...but I couldn't bring back her spirit. Her fire is gone, and if it's not...well...it's almost burned out. I miss her so much...she just doesn't seem to get me anymore. The thing of it is, I haven't changed a bit."

"You ever think about _telling_ her all of this?" Brink asked. "It's obvious you still love her, and I know she still loves you. Just talk her, buddy. She's hurtin' pretty bad, but she has a hard time showin' it."

Myk shrugged. "Ya know, at times, I think maybe it would have been better if I just stayed dead..."

"You better get off that flight path right now before I lay you out where you stand," Brink warned the Rogue. "I have never seen Arie as happy as she was when you came back to her, and if she lost you again it would kill her. That's something I just plain won't allow. So before you start thinkin' that you'd be better off dead, think about this: She died the day they said you'd been lost. She died again when she lost Kevin. The hurt in that woman's eyes never left her. When you came back, I saw some of it go away. She was dead for the longest time, and I will NOT see her that way again."

"Take it easy, pirate," Myk said as he lit up another cigarette. "I'm not going anywhere. I want to fix this, I've just got to figure out how."

"You could start by talkin' to her."

"I will."

"You'd _better_."

"I'm taking her to Ithor, tonight," Myk said. "Now will you loosen up? I'm the one who's supposed to be all high-strung, here, remember?"

"I'm just doing what friends do for friends," Brink replied as the two headed down the ramp and into the hangar.

"I know," Myk smiled. "And I appreciate it, pal."

"Good," Brink smirked. "Now, be sure to save what's left of that bottle. I'm calling half of it mine as my counseling fee."

Myk laughed. "Sure thing, pirate. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to find the Phoenix. She and I have a date on Ithor in half an hour."

* * *

There was a light knock on the door to the quarters she and Myk were sharing aboard _New Hope._ Wondering who it could possibly be, she opened it to find Myk-Ron standing in the corridor.

"What did you knock for?" Arie arched an eyebrow at the Rogue.

Myk produced a bouquet of flowers from behind his back and performed a gentleman's bow. "I was wondering if the lady would care to join me for an evening," The Rogue smiled.

"What's gotten into you?" Arie asked, taking his outstretched hand. "Have you been drinking?"

"Only a little," Myk smirked. "C'mon, you and I need some time to be alone together. Ithor's about as secluded as you can get, and I know this great place right on the water..."

"There's water down there?" Arie asked. "Real, clear, water?"

"You'll see, Princess," He replied as he led her to the hanger where the _Firebird_ waited, prepped and ready to go...

* * *

Callista woke slowly in the darkened quarters she shared with Xan aboard _New Hope_. Turning over, she gazed at him as he slept. _Good morning, Cyar’rika,_ she teased, smiling at him. He grinned at her as she rose from the bed.

"I need to gather all the healers to New Hope so we can prepare for this," She said as she began slipping into her robes. _Beskar'gam_ just wasn’t practical in a medical bay.

He nodded slowly, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, as he rose to join her. "And what are your plans besides that, love?" He hugged her to him, his strong arms enveloping her.

"I need to catch up with Master Dinn, and discuss how the Jedi Healers can be put to the best possible use." _Force only knows how much they will be needed..._ she thought at him.

He nodded and set himself to the task of getting dressed.

"But there's always later... what did you have in mind?" she asked.

* * *

They had landed on Ithor in the _Firebird_ , just the two of them.

Myk-Ron wore his traditional smugglers' outfit, vest and all, blaster riding low around his waist.

Arie, as always, in some sort of military uniform, wore her camouflaged BDUs- a sleeveless OD green tank top, bulky camo-pants, black heavy-laced military boots, a camo jacket and garrison cap with her hair tied up and hidden under the cap. A blaster swung from her right hip holster as well as a bowie knife from her left sheath, her tikki blade sheathed inside her inner left boot.

Myk-Ron led her to the quiet grove beside the cool, crystalline waters of the only remaining lake on Ithor.

"So this is the lake my grandson was going on about," Arie commented.

" _Our_ grandson. And, yes," Myk-Ron replied, noticing Arie did not even respond facially to his comment on Ter-lon.

"Steffan and Ainar told me about your little 'ceremony' here the other night....I'll have you know that I'm not going to pledge myself to the Force...I gave up on the Order and the Code long ago," Arie restated, mustering a stern look.

"And I'm not going to force you to do anything of the sort," Myk-Ron replied, taking her hand and leading her over to the lake. “You know I don’t follow the Jedi Code, either. What makes you think I’d start now?”

Arie remained silent as she bent over and picked up a handful of the dead earth they were walking on. She let the earth fall from her hands, the dry dust floating away on the breeze.

"I know you know what happened here..." Myk-Ron said to his wife carefully watching her reaction.

Her face turned from mild neglect to a flash of anger in her eyes in an instant. "Yeah...the Vong happened." Arie angrily replied, knowing the Vong were responsible for taking her husband from her so long ago.

Myk-Ron thought he would press the issue and tried a different approach. "What do you think Thrawn would have made of the Yuuzhan Vong?"

Arie's eyes moved from the earth in her hand to her husband's face quickly, her look of anger going to surprise. "As Wedge once put it, 'ground Vong, if he had a few examples of their artwork'," Arie replied, a half-smile forming on her face. She stepped away from her husband and picked up a few stones and began to skip them over the lake's smooth surface.

"Ya know, I tried so hard to live up to his military genius..." Arie began.

"He was a maniacal calculating murderer!" Myk-Ron protested.

"But a military genius non-the-less...I wanted to be great like him but in a way that would protect the New Republic, not destroy it as he tried. I wanted to prove that I was not corrupt like he was just because he was my step-brother for a short time..." Arie went on, watching her stones move over the surface one by one.

"You are great, Arie, the best the New Republic has ever seen, but I think it is time for the Republic to stand on its own...to make its own mistakes without you mothering it," Myk replied quietly. Arie looked at him and then back at the water.

"Maybe you are right...and maybe you are wrong...only time will tell. Had I been in Command when you left that day on that damned escort mission...you never would have gone and been taken from me.....and the Vong would never have...." Arie began to say the Vong would not have caused as much destruction as they did, but she had stopped.

"Princess, you weren't in charge then...and even if you were, you don't know what the outcome would have been," Myk-Ron answered, stepping beside her and taking her hand.

She looked at him. "I know, but I still can't help think of what might have been...and I guess I just don't want to see anything like that happen again under my watch." Arie said, moving into her husband's arms. "Perhaps after this is over, we will return and I will heal the damage the Vong caused so many years ago...." Arie whispered softly as Myk-Ron held her closer. She could feel him nodding in agreement with her.

"Perhaps," He whispered back.

"Have I ever told you how hot you look in BDU's?" Myk-Ron said slyly, smiling at her as he slid her outer jacket off, letting it fall to the ground. He removed her cap, letting her long brown hair fall around her shoulders as he tossed the cap to the ground and touched her cheek, kissing her lips deeply.

"Bet you can't catch me," Myk-Ron whispered, pulling back from her lips as he began to run towards the lake, stripping his vest, shirt, boots and pants and diving into the cool water.

Arie took this as a challenge and chased after him, pulling her tank top off and pulling her boots off and her pants before diving into the lake after her husband. She swam out to the middle where she thought her husband was but did not see him resurface.

She moved around the lake, calling his name, growing worried as the minutes went by and he did not resurface.

"Myk!" Arie called. Suddenly, a pair of arms grabbed her from behind and squeezed her tightly and a pair of lips grazed upon the back of her neck. She turned around to find her husband behind her, grinning.

"Nerfherder!" Arie swore, punching him in the arm. "You had me worried!"

Myk grinned. "You? Worried?" He laughed as she splashed water at him in response to his joke. He pulled her close to her and kissed her, holding her in the cool water. He pushed her wet hair aside from her eyes and kissed her again. She grew quiet for a moment and Myk gave her a look as if to say "What?"

"What I really meant to say, is that I'm really not that strong...no matter how I try, I'm still holding on....and here's the honest truth... I'm still in love with you...that’s what I really meant to say..." Arie breathed as Myk kissed her again deeper this time and more passionately, his arms going around her naked body against his in the lake...

* * *

Ainar sat in the officers' lounge on the _New Hope_ , watching the assembled fleet. They were still outnumbered three to one, and Ainar could not shake off the feeling of despair, whispering to him. He knew they would lose this battle even with the incoming reinforcements. Ainar poured himself some Ruby Bliels and took a sip, watching as a squadron of X-wings flew past the ship.

He felt it in the Force, he had felt it for days...he had hoped the addition of the Jensaarai fleet would change something, but he knew now, that without some drastic move, they would be nothing but cannon fodder.

"You know what you have to do..." Ainar said to no one in particular as he took another sip off his drink.

"You better lay off the booze mate; you're starting to talk to yourself."

Ainar looked up to see Brink enter the room grinning, "Mind if I take a seat?"

Ainar smiled at Brink and pulled out a chair for him. "I haven't been able to catch up with you since I heard you were joining us, how have you been?"

"You know me, as long as there's a bar and a fight around the corner, I'm happy as a Corellian hawk-bat." Brink said smiling.

Ainar smiled at Brink, "Hey Brink. I don't suppose you know if we still carry some Shadow Bombs?"

Brink looked at Ainar, raising an eyebrow.

"Well I know Myk still carries some on the _Firebird_...why?"

Ainar nodded and finished his drink. "I'm sorry."

Brink looked surprised. "For what?"

Ainar sprung from his chair and grabbed Brink's arm, and laying his palm on the other man's forehead, he sent the Force flowing into Brink.

 _"Forget our discussion,"_ Ainar whispered in Brink's ear as Brink's consciousness left him. Ainar looked around and was happy to see that no one had been around to see the incident. He picked up the bottle of Ruby Bliels, took one sip and then placed it in Brink's hand. "I'm sorry." he said as he left the room. He knew what he had to do.

Ainar walked to the hangar bay where the _Firebird_ and the captured Sith fighter were being kept.

"Sorry sir, no one is supposed to enter without Captain Dinn's orders." the young security guard said, raising a hand.

"That's OK, I have his written orders right here that allow me access to the bay" Ainar said, fumbling around in his pocket then pulled his hand out of his robe again and projected the illusion into the Guard's brain that in his hand were Myk's orders.

The security guard seemed to freeze for a moment, then blinked his eyes, "Yes sir, right this way," the guard said, opening the hangar bay.

"Thank you...now _forget_ " The guard froze again, then shut the door, not remembering a thing about what had happened for the past few minutes.

A few droids were scattered around the hangar, making minor repairs. "You...and you! Come over here" Ainar said, calling for an old astromech and a binary load-lifter. "You guys will assist me in removing the Shadow Bombs from that old Corellian freighter, to the fighter over there, alright?"

The little droid chirped what sounded to Ainar like a "yes" and the loader said nothing, not surprising since he had as much AI as a toaster. The two droids spoke together in binary for a few seconds then went on unloading the bombs from Myk's ship and transferring them to the Sith fighter. "Man...he will not be happy with this."

* * *

Half an hour later the job was complete and the droids went to stand-by mode. Ainar walked over to the Sith fighter and looked it over, he had not logged a single hour in this thing, he just hoped he could fly it.

He had just over a week until the two fleets would meet in battle, that should be enough time to reach Nal Hutta, and get his debt paid and then head to Msst...he just hoped that old scoundrel was still in Nal Hutta.

Ainar entered the fighter and strapped himself in, switching on the computer. "I just hope they go for this..." Ainar opened a comm channel to the _New Hope's_ control room.

"This is Master Algeron in main hangar, I need you to open the hangar doors...I'm taking the new toy out for a spin."

_"Master Algeron, this is highly unusual, I have no flight plan listed..."_

"Come on guys, I've been wanting to take her out for a spin, just around the block" Ainar responded. He was starting to sweat...if this didn't work, he wasn't going anywhere.

_"Alright...just between us, Master, just bring her back in one piece."_

Ainar smiled and let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "Will do! See you in a few." He cut the channel and watched as the hangar bay doors opened, revealing the blackness of space. Ainar brought the Sith fighter out, slowly and waited until he was out of range for the New Hope's tractor beams. Bringing the hyperdrive online, he punched in the coordinates for Nal Hutta. "Sorry guys...I hope you understand," he said as he pulled the lever.

* * *

It was Steffan's turn for bridge duty and he kept looking over all the stations and making sure that everyone was getting used to the equipment on _New Hope's_ bridge. Something he wasn't used to, but he'd taken part in enough operations onboard _Valkyrie_ that he could help everyone else out.

"How's the CAP doing out there," he asked the Jedi that they had working at Flight Operations.

"Fine so far," the younger Jedi told him as Steffan looked over the screen and started looking at all the fighters that were out at the moment. "Wait a moment," he said as he tapped a contact and the ID came up so he could read it. "Who in the Force is taking the Sith fighter out?"

"Master Algeron said he'd been given permission to test it," the other said, drawing a glare from Steffan.

"And you didn't even bother to inform anyone that he was taking it??" Steffan said as he pulled up all the scanner information. "Spast, and he's already out of tractor range... Ainar, come on back to...”

 _"Sorry guys,"_ he heard Ainar's voice over the channel, _"Hope you understand."_

And, in a flash, the fighter jumped into hyperspace. And, all Steffan could do was watch, pounding repeatedly on the console.

* * *

"Who the hell let him into the bay in the first place?" Myk asked the Jedi that was taking charge of security.

"The guard doesn't remember anything," the Jedi said as Steffan mulled over it.

"He spent a year on Barab," Steffan told them both. "He certainly had time to expand his abilities in the Force. Influencing a Jedi's mind isn't entirely impossible, but it takes a great deal of control...which he obviously has now."

"And we have another problem," Myk told Steffan as he dismissed the guard. "He took half my compliment of shadow bombs to load up on his fighter. Do we have enough baradium here for what we're planning?"

"I've got Dilan out to bring all the shadows that I have stored in right now," Steffan told him.

"But I don't think we have to worry about Ainar."

"I don't mean to sound negative, Steffan, but you know that there have been some reserved thoughts about him."

"And I know I've had them myself," Steffan told him. "But you've got to believe."

"Alright," Myk said as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Why did he take it armed with shadow bombs?"

"I've got a good idea...but I can't be sure," Steffan told him as he tried to think about who was missing in the room. "Where's Brink?"


	10. Chapter 10

Wandering the corridors of _New Hope_ in the moment they’d managed to steal for themselves, Xan and Callista spoke quietly of things to come. The strike had come from nowhere, and so quickly that it had caught the entire galaxy off guard. The threat was just too big to ignore, and so they had both abandoned their own quest to lend their aid to Myk and the Jedi forces. They walked hand-in-hand down the corridors, their padawans watching their respective posts for the moment.

Lost in each other as they were, it was with some surprise that they ran directly into Ter-Lon as he rounded a corner just ahead. The young man rebounded off of Xan’s beskar plated chest to land on his backside on the deck. His datapad skidded into a wall and stopped there.

“Easy, Ter-Lon,” Xan said, extending a hand to help the young man to his feet. “I know why I’m distracted, but what’s got you in a hurry?”

“You mean aside from the ever-impending doom?” Ter-Lon gave the Mando one of his grandfather’s trademark smirks as he called his datapad back to his hands. It was a mil-spec version and hadn’t suffered any damage.

“Yes, yes,” Xan waved him off. “I mean besides that.”

“Well, I’ve been running inventory for Grandfather,” Ter-Lon nodded to his datapad. “And, I thought I would check out the _Firebird’s_ stores just in case. He’s missing more than half his component of shadow bombs.”

Callista whistled. “And, you’re in a hurry to go tell him?”

“I’ve never seen someone so punctual for his own funeral,” Xan chimed in.

Ter-Lon’s eyes went wide with a sudden wave of fear. “B-but, I’m just the messenger!” He protested. “I didn’t take them!”

“Indeed,” Xan crossed his arms and appraised the young Knight with mock seriousness. “Well, you’d better hurry then.”

“Yes,” Callista nodded sagely. “Better bad news swiftly then no news at all, when dealing with the Raging Rogue.”

“R-raging Rogue?” Ter-Lon asked.

“Oh, I did some digging,” Xan said. “Back when your grandfather was leading a squadron of snub fighters, he had a reputation for being the one man you did not want to have dressing you down.”

“I think commanding this fleet is bringing some of the old instincts back for him,” Callista nodded. “Yesterday, I saw a Knight come out of a briefing room nearly in tears because he’d misplaced a crate of rations.”

“Ah,” Xan smiled, patting the now pale Ter-Lon on the shoulder. “But, you’re related. He’ll probably set the scorching to stun for you.”

“B-but,” Ter-Lon stammered. “I’m just the messenger!”

“Whatever you say, Kid,” Xan waved over his back as he and Callista continued down the hall, hiding their laughter.

Flustered, Ter-Lon took off at a quicker pace to find Myk-Ron. Only to run into Steffan Karrde. This time, he kept his feet.

“Sorry, Master Karrde,” Ter-Lon sighed.

"It’s alright, Ter-lon. I'm looking for Brink,” Steffan said. “Have you seen him?”

Ter-Lon shuffled as he tried to think about where he’d last seen the old smuggler, "I think I'd seen him in the officer's lounge. Looked like he had passed out drinking a Ruby Bliels.”

 _Brink getting hammered on Ruby? That’s not right_ …

“Thanks," he said as he broke stride and ran towards the officer's lounge. Ter-Lon just shook his head, and started running in the opposite direction.

Steffan found Brink still asleep resting on one of the tables. He went to his side and placed a hand to his forehead, pulsing the Force through his mind not only to revive him but to find out what happened.

"Oohhhhh," Brink finally started to say as he opened his eyes. "Steffan...what the kriff happened..."

"Easy there, buddy," Steffan said as he started to lean him up gently. "What do you remember?"

"I came in here and saw Ainar drinking...he said something to himself...I can't remember anything...."

"Ainar," Steffan said softly as he helped him up. "Come on, Brink. I think you'll be alright, but let’s get you to medical real quick."

* * *

Hearing voices at the end of the corridor, Callista turned to find Steffan helping Brink out of the Officer's lounge. He looked a little shaken up, but that was all. Looking to Steffan, she asked quietly, "Do you need help getting him to Medical?"

Steffan shook his head. "We'll be fine, but I could use your help once we get there." He paused and caught her gaze for a moment, _He may have lasting damage from the 'wipe, it was forcible, after all..._ he sent to her through the Force.

Brink nodded quietly and smiled at her. "I'll be fine, don't you worry...."

Callista nodded and turned to Xan as Steffan led Brink toward the medical wing. Once she was sure they were out of earshot she explained. "Looks like it might be worse; Steffan wants me to find out if there are any lasting effects. I don’t think he wanted to worry Brink."

He nodded minutely. "I thought I caught something pass between you and Master Karrde," He said. “I’ll meet you for dinner in the Officer’s Mess after?”

Nodding in return, Callista turned to follow Steffan to Medical.

* * *

"It doesn’t feel like there are any further after-effects," Callista said as she opened her eyes from using the Force to run over the damage Ainar had done. "I'll say this; he knew what he was doing."

"Well, that's a lot of comfort to me," Brink said as he sat up. "Thanks, little lady...."

"What do you remember?" Steffan asked as he helped Brink to sit up.

"A lot more, thanks to her." Brink told him as he pointed to Callista. "Ainar and I had a talk and somewhere in there, we got on the subject of the shadow bombs that Myk keeps loaded in _Firebird's_ launchers. What the heck is that all about?"

"Why he's using them, I don't know," Steffan said. "But we have some more coming in."

"Sirs, there may be some untold effects that may come around," Callista told them both before they left the medical bay. "I've never seen the technique with this powerful effect. We're lucky I was able to undo it with Master Karrde's help."

"So I'll come in and check-in with you if I feel funny," Brink said as he tossed the young lady a wink before he tried to stand up. The old smuggler immediately sat back down. “ _Shassa_ , I feel like I just spent a weekend with Myk on the _Errant Venture_!”

“Like I said,” Callista helped him lie back down. “I couldn’t feel any further effects. You’ll be dizzy for a little while yet."

* * *

Arie came back from Ithor with her husband, feeling better that they were not fighting now, but had agreed to work things out after the war...They parted ways and Myk headed back to the hangar to make some minor adjustments to the _Firebird_ while Arie headed down to Medical after receiving word from Steffan that Brink had been hurt.

She strode into the ward, a worried look upon her face.

Brink sat upon a gurney, rubbing his head. Steffan and Callista were in the room and had been checking him out.

" _You okay, brother?_ " Arie asked in their native Coshakian.

" _Ainar mind-wiped me. Feels like the worst hangover I’ve ever had,_ ” Brink responded in kind.

"Where is Ainar?" Arie asked, looking from Brink to Steffan and speaking in Basic now.

"Gone, took off with the Sith fighter and half of your husband's personal compliment of shadow bombs," Brink interjected before Steffan could answer.

Arie's face drained of color. "Myk-Ron isn't going to like this one bit..." Arie sighed. She trusted Ainar's decisions, after all, she had trained him and she knew him better than anyone else, but she picked up the feeling from Steffan and Callista that Ainar was now on their traitor-list.

"Let's get you back to your quarters and I will go over Callista's work. It appears she has fixed you up nicely, though," Arie complimented the younger Jedi. Callista smiled and nodded once.

"Don't go after him, Steffan. I asked you once to let him be and you went against my wishes. I am asking you now, as an old friend to let Ainar run his own course. He knows what he is doing," Arie said as she let Brink lean on her shoulder and helped him walk out of the medical ward and down the corridor to his quarters.

She keyed the access panel and the door slid open. She helped Brink to his bunk and he sank into it sloppily.

"If I didn't know better, I would swear you've been drinking," Arie commented on Brink's behavior, although she knew he was sober and was only experiencing the mind-numbing effects from being mind-read by a Jedi.

Arie sat down on the bunk beside her lifelong friend and laid a hand over his forehead, sending cooling waves of gentle energy into him.

"Oh _shistraka_ I'm not that bad off..." Brink muttered, apparently recovering quickly.

"I know you aren't..." Arie whispered, looking at her best friend. A tear slid down her cheek and she removed her hand from Brink's forehead.

He looked at her and his expression changed to concern.

"Arie...I'm ok, really! Honest! Just got a headache, but I'll live," Brink answered.

"It's not that, _mistraka_...It's...we aren't going to win this war...we are so greatly outnumbered, it’s not even a fighting chance. We are going to lose...a lot of Jedi will lose their lives," Arie commented quietly.

"And what would the Head of the New Republic Galactic Defense do?" Brink asked.

"She wouldn’t fight a losing battle," Arie answered, wiping another tear from her face as Brink put his arm around her shoulder, rubbing it to comfort her.

“And, what would the Phoenix do? What would Arie Dinn, pilot, commander, Jedi Master, and hero of the Republic do?" her husband's voice came from the doorway, as she and Brink looked up to see Myk-Ron standing in the doorway.

Arie looked at the Rogue and the fire behind his eyes, and something stirred within her. It was a familiar feeling and a welcome one. Her tears faded, and her heart soared. “She wouldn’t care what the odds were,” Arie smiled. “Because she doesn’t know how to lose.”

“That’s my girl,” Myk beamed.

* * *

**Nal Hutta**

Ainar pulled the lever and the fighter dropped out of hyperspace near Nal Hutta. "I swore I would never visit this place again..." Ainar set the course for a private starport in the eastern hemisphere and landed the fighter.

When he opened the cockpit and climbed out he heard a series of blasters being charged. "Come out..slowly with your hands up," he heard a voice saying from the darkness surrounding the landing platform.

"Don't worry, I come in peace..I'm here to see your boss, Hubbont" Ainar replied, walking towards the voice with his hands in the air.

"I wasn't aware his lordship had a meeting today.." the voice responded, emerging from the shadows. A small Rodian stood there pointing a blaster at him.

"Just comm your boss and tell him Ainar is here, and he wants his debt repaid."

The Rodian obviously recognized the name and backed away. "Ainar? Last I heard that Jedi was dead..."

Ainar grinned, "No not dead....just took a vacation." With a snap of his wrist every blaster in the vicinity flew past his head, landing in a heap.

The Rodian seemed startled and he heard gasps from the guards surrounding him.

"Now I don't want to hurt anyone, and I don't want any trouble..just take me to him."

* * *

"Ahhaha, my old friend..welcome!"

Ainar grinned as the fat slimy Hutt welcomed him with open arms. "Drop the act Hubbont, you know why I'm here" Ainar said taking a seat in the office.

"Ahh yes..that little debt I owe you for saving my life all those years ago.”

Ainar had thwarted an assassination attempt on his life when he was stationed on this planet some years ago on a mission. "Yes, and I'm in no mood for games, I know I can't make you tell me."

The Hutt laughed deeply at the comment, "Too bad, Jedi.."

Ainar slammed his fist on the table, shutting the slimy worm up. "I need a clearance code to infiltrate the Sith armada gathering at Msst..and I know you have your hands on just about everything."

The Hutt looked at him and nodded.."Ah yes..that unfortunate fleet, I think that code costs you a little more than saving my life."

Ainar sprung to his feet and made a fist with his hands, the Hutt started clawing at his neck, trying to break free of the Force grip Ainar had on him, gasping for air. "What about I let you live this time also? Is that enough??"

The Hutt nodded his head and screamed for air, Ainar let his grip go and the worm took a series of deep breaths, recovering from the choke-hold. "Alright..Alright..I'll give it to you just take it and leave, Jedi."

Ainar smiled at the comment and leaned back in his chair while the Hutt searched for the correct file in his computer.

After a few minutes, the Hutt handed him a datacard. "Here's everything you need..now go, and don't come back. Next time I will order my men to shoot you out of the sky"

Ainar smiled at him and bowed. "Always a pleasure doing business with you"

* * *

**Ithor**

"Master Karrde," one of the Jedi called up as he was walking down the corridor and handed him the datapad from the bridge.

"Oh very good. Thank you," Steffan said as he read it over and handed it back to the younger knight and smiled. "Thank you again." He walked down towards the hangar bay, tapping his wristcomm to get Myk's frequency. "Myk, Dilan's back with the extra baradium. He's bringing it over to the _Repulse_ right now."

_"Alright, Steffan,"_ he heard on the other end. _"I'm still wrapping things up here, but could you go ahead and start directing where to put it for the most good on the ship?"_

"I'm already heading for the hangar deck so I can take Blue Talon over," Steffan told him. "I'll see to it."

* * *

**The night before the storm....**

This was how a fleet was supposed to be run, Myk thought as he was finally able to kick his feet up. Everything was running smoothly, and he had "officers" like Steffan who could think for themselves to thank for it. It was almost like being back in his squadron but at a much larger scale. Instead of wingmen reading his thoughts, it was "officers" doing what he wanted them to do before he asked.

The fleet was to run its last practice melee in the "morning," and then they'd head out. Despite the fact that he knew they'd be losing this war, Myk-Ron Dinn felt indescribably calm. _But maybe...well..._ thoughts like that just wouldn't be becoming of someone who was supposed to be leading this little operation.

Arie walked into the darkened office and laid her hands on Myk's shoulders as he leaned back in the desk chair. He smiled warmly up at her. "Listen, babe," He said as he pulled her around to sit in his lap. "I love you. I just want you to know that. No matter what, I love you. I know we haven't been seeing eye to eye a LOT lately, and I'm not going to make any excuses. People disagree, and that's life. There are some things we need to talk about, and I mean, really sit down and talk about. But, they'll keep for now. We have one last night before our lives are thrown into the chaos of war once more. Yes, we're probably going to lose, but I promise that as long as you live, I will too." He kissed her deeply. "When things get hot, I want you to take the _Firebird_ and fly outta there as fast as you can. Get to Coruscant where it's safe and I will come after you. I know you worry about losing me again but know this: Wherever you go, I will follow. I love you more than you could ever know, and nothing could ever keep me away."

* * *

"The fleet is ready, milord," The comm officer reported.

"Good," The Master replied, rubbing his hands together. "They will arrive in twenty-four standard hours, and we will be waiting."

"Aye, milord."

"This shall be a grand war, soldier," The Master said, and there was the snap-hiss of a lightsaber being activated. The silver light from the blade cast eerie shadows on the Master's face. "This shall be a grand war indeed."

* * *

**Hyperspace**

Ainar checked the navicomputer, he was still 2 hours from Msst. He poured himself some instant coffee and watched the starlines. He didn't want to do this, but there was no other way. The Jedi would be slaughtered if he didn't do something to even the odds out a bit.

Ainar reached down into the Force, to a place where no matter existed, only energy. He drew courage from the Force and bathed in it, felt a tingling sensation as the pure essence of the Force flowed around him. This might be his final mission, and he knew it.

Ainar opened his eyes and found his coffee cup long cold, the navicomputer showed that he was now only one hour away from Msst. He was on time, there was still a little bit over a day till the battle.

He would show the Sith that the 'Fallen one' was back...

* * *

_**Beep beep, beep beep** _

Ainar opened his eyes and reached for the hyperdrive controls. He would be dropping out of hyperspace in five minutes. And he needed to prepare himself. It wasn't enough to have the access codes, these Sith would spot a Jedi in the Force immediately.

He closed his eyes once more, and moved back in time..to the time and place it all began.

_Rhen Var._

_Ainar laughed, he couldn't stop laughing. "You can't stop me Myk, no one can."_

_"Wanna bet?" Myk ran towards Ainar, igniting his blade. Ainar ignited the Sith blade, striking at Myk._

_Myk blocked the strike and punched Ainar in the face, Ainar responded by summoning the Force and pushing Myk away._

_"Let me be Myk! I don't want to kill you!..Maybe hurt you. “ With a sudden movement Ainar was back, swinging his blade, but Myk was not as lucky this time, Ainar singed his arm._

_Myk backed up, holding his left arm. Ainar could feel the anger in Myk rising. Myk nursed his arm for a moment, then swung at Ainar, he fell deeply into the Force, moving with extraordinary speed._

_Ainar blocked one move after the other. But Myk was faster and Ainar screamed in pain as Myk's blade burned his cheek._

_He fell back, regaining his posture. The anger was swelling in him now. Raising his hand he pinned Myk to a tree, holding him with the Force then raising his blade in the air, Ainar threw his lightsaber at Myk._

_"You cannot change what happened, Ainar," Steffan told him, keeping up with every assault. "I cannot nor can anyone else. You have to accept what has happened and move on!"_

“ _I am..."_

_"You are letting your emotions turn you into a pawn! Letting yourself slip farther away, not accepting matters as a Jedi!" Steffan said as he stopped backing up. "If what you're hoping for is death by my hands...then I will not give you want you want."_

_Then Myk saw the unthinkable...Steffan shut down his lightsaber and dropped his hands to his sides._

_"I will not fight you any longer, Ainar," Steffan said quietly. "For it is a decision I make."_

_"Damn you, Steffan!" Ainar yelled as he came forward..._

_"NO!" Myk yelled as he sent a powerful burst through the Force to knock Ainar back....._

_..but it was too late...._

_By the time Myk's hammer blow sent Ainar back against the wall, his blade had already struck. Steffan's eyes betrayed nothing but amazement as the blade had struck diagonally at his left shoulder...._

_...not deeply.....but enough...._

_The blow cut through ribs and he could feel his lung on that side tearing and collapsing. He fell to his knees on the rooftop, his lightsaber falling from his hand onto the duracrete. Seconds seemed to pass like hours as all of his senses slowed, falling on his back to the rooftop. But he could hear Ainar's cries as he had run from where Myk had slammed him against the wall and into his ship._

_The last thing he heard were Myk's curses as the Valiant had powered up its engines and took off from the rooftop._

_Arie felt the burst of anger, of pain, and of pure anguish just as she turned Archangel's head toward Blue Talon._

_Blue Talon started drifting, showing no signs of movement whatsoever, and Arie could only imagine what was happening with Andrea in the cockpit._

_My God, Ainar.....what have you done?_

_Ainar's eyes snapped open, he was crying. He felt cold and angry. This had to be done...._

_Ainar flexed his fingers and grinned, it had been a while since he felt this powerful. He stretched his hand out and in it formed a blue bolt of lightning._

_STOP_

The bolt faded away...he couldn't afford to fall all the way again..he was threading a thin line.

The anger of his late wife's murder was surging inside him now, and without it this mission would not succeed. This is why he did not tell anyone of his plans...they would've tried to stop him. He might not come back from this, he might live but not come back from the Darkside that was trying to get a hold on him again.

The computer beeped and Ainar pulled the lever. The Sith fighter dropped out of hyperspace and before him was the largest fleet of ships he had ever seen...he had fought in a lot of wars, but this...it brought a chill down his spine.

But he couldn't afford to think like that now...he needed to radiate anger and aggression. He needed to complete his mission. Ainar set the course for the _Lusankya_. The closest SSD.

_This better work..._

Ainar piloted the ship towards the SSD's aft landing bay, nice and slow.

"Fighter NS-320, transmit clearance code for docking," a booming voice said over his comm unit. Ainar inserted the datatape he acquired on Nal Hutta and transmitted the code. _That slimy worm had better not betray me..._

Seconds passed and Ainar's hands began to sweat, but he focused to keep his grip on the anger still boiling inside of him, he dared not close his eyes in fear of seeing his wife... _She must be disappointed in me..._

"Fighter NS-320, you are cleared for docking." Ainar exhaled and maneuvered the fighter into the aft landing bay.

According to the blueprints the main reactor is right behind that wall Ainar thought to himself as he guided the fighter into the bay. The wall infront of him was 10 meters of reinforced durasteel.

What he was about to do would require all of the control he had mastered in the Force..and more.

Ainar hovered the craft in the bay, not seeing anyone around and switched on his weapon systems. The landing bay's alarms went off and klaxons sounded all over the ship. He raised shields and prepared the bombs.

Without thinking about it further, Ainar squeezed the trigger and bolts of blasterfire erupted from the fighter, clawing away at the wall in front of him, making it turn red with heat. He kept on firing, digging deeper into the wall. Then he sent the first shadow bomb.

The fighter wobbled in the air as the explosion partly collapsed the wall in front of him, but he needed a clear shot so he vaporized the remaining rubble with blasterfire. He saw platoons of Sith racing into the bay, all shooting blaster fire at him. But the fighter's shield would hold, for now.

When the hole in the wall was clear he prepared the rest of the bombs for launch. The fact that he might not live through his started to creep up on him again..he bit his lip and armed the remaining missiles with a 10-second delay.

_Arie..I might not make it, please my Master, my dear Arie...tell Ter-Lon I'm proud of him..and tell Steffan thanks._

Ainar looked at the wall in front of him..and pulled the trigger.

_When can their glory fade?_

_Oh, the wild charge they made!_

_All the world wondered._

_Honor the charge they made!_

_Honor the Light Brigade,_

_Noble Six Hundred!_

* * *

Arie sat up in bed, a cold sweat beading across her forehead.

 _"Ainar, noooooo!"_ Arie screamed blindly in the darkness....

Myk-Ron was still awake, watching over her and he quickly pulled her into his arms.

F _orce, What have you done_? Arie's mind screamed as she cried in her husband's arms.

"It has begun." Myk-Ron said, silently holding his wife in the dark.

* * *

"Steffan!"

"I felt it," Steffan said as he was warming up _Blue Talon_ 's systems for launch. He kept the cockpit hatch opened as he looked and saw Myk running down the hangar gangway to the mobile suit.

"What do you think?" Myk asked him as Steffan started to strap himself in.

"If I launch and take _Repulse_ with me now, I can arrive on the other side of the system as we planned. We're assuming five hours getting both me and the bombship to their fleet while we're both cloaked."

"So, we could launch the attack that much earlier..." Myk said as Steffan started powering up the engines. "Eight hours...that should give us enough time to prep the rest of our surprises."

"I'll position between the SSD's that are left," Steffan told him. "And wait to detonate till you get the fleet in range."

“'That are left'?" Myk asked.

"Natural assumption," Steffan said as he finished his checks. "You come up to a pack of wolfhounds...which one do you take out first?"

"The alpha," Myk reflexively answered. "Or the larger of them. You think Ainar went to target one of the SSD's?"

"It’s not impossible for one fighter to disable an SSD. You just have to know where to punch."

"Alright," Myk said as he backed off from the mobile suit. "You've got five hours before we jump in the system. And, you'll be sitting among their fleet for a good while before the two come into range of each other. That's a lot of time to keep hidden from their senses while you're cloaked."

"I knew the risks when we talked about it," Steffan said. " _Blue Talon'_ s the only ship in the fleet that can handle the pounding if I'm found out. May the Force be with you."

"And with you," Myk said as Steffan closed Blue Talon cockpit and started making the mobile suit walk towards the magcon field _. Spast, I hope you're able to pull this off_.

* * *

**Msst**

The Master laughed as the burning hulk of the _Lusankya_ began to drift out of formation. “Do you see this?” He cried on the bridge of the _Executor_. “This is how the Jedi would fight us. They sneak, they trick, and they break their own Code of honor by striking before the arranged time. Such acts will bring them nothing! And we shall show them how true warriors fight when their fleet arrives.”

Laughter from the crew pits joined his own as he waved his silver blade in a lazy infinity arc before closing it down. The fighter that had caused the damage to the _Lusankya_ was burning through the atmosphere of Msst. The ship was shredded, and the pilot’s only hope was to survive a crash on that dreadful planet of fog.

 _I pray you survive, Jedi fool,_ the Master thought to himself. _I pray you live to see how little you’ve helped your friends._

“Sir,” The comm officer called. “What shall we do with the wreckage?”

“Let it drift where it is,” The Master replied. “It was nothing but a shell to begin with, meant to scare our enemies. Now, it will give them a false sense of hope. That Jedi saboteur had a one in three chance of picking out an occupied Super Star Destroyer. Obviously, he’s not a Corellian.”

The Master hung his cloak over the back of his command chair, revealing an old and tattered black flight suit. He strode down the command walkway for the doors that would take him off the bridge. “Have our techs ready my fighter,” He commanded. “Ar’Kry, you have command of the _Executor_. Put the Fleet in battle-ready positions. I shall be commanding from my fighter. Think on your feet, my army, and we shall win this one yet.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Ithor**

“Get the pilots to their fighters,” Myk ordered over the comm system as he prepped the _Firebird_ for launch. “Assume battle-ready and wait for my mark to enter hyperspace. Maintain formation. We’ll jump in and drive straight for their heart.”

The _Bird_ sat in the hangar of _New Hope_ , waiting to launch as soon as the fleet arrived at Msst. The fighters were all being primed to deploy at that instant as well. The five hours he had, he’d put to good use, and the fleet was running right on time. They’d formed up before the jump, and they’d all be slaving their navicomps to the lead ship so they could make the jump in formation. If all went according to plan, they’d come out right in front of the Sith fleet and begin their drive forward as soon as they hit realspace.

“Stay sharp, stay loose, and keep your wits about you,” Myk said as he watched the monitor he’d installed in his ship’s cockpit. It showed him a visual of the whole of the fleet and fed him all the information there was on each ship. “I’ll be commanding from the _Bird_ , as planned, but I won’t always be issuing orders. We’ve run through countless scenarios and we’ve been training non-stop. You are all ready for this, just believe it. Believe in yourselves, trust in the Force, and make the decisions you know you can. Think on your feet, and we may just pull through this thing.”

Arie shot him a bit of a smirk from where she was seated at the navigator’s station in the cockpit. _Nice speech, Nerfherder_ , He heard her voice in his head. He winked at her.

From Brink he could sense nothing but calm, which Myk appreciated greatly. His respect for Brink’s fighting skills rivaled the respect he held for Wedge and Tycho. Brink hadn’t an inkling of Force sensitivity, yet Myk had seen him pull maneuvers that even a Jedi would be hard pressed to repeat. The old smuggler had vaped his share of Imp aces and wanna-be pirates, and the son-of-a-bantha was still a hot hand on the stick. And, all of it he did without the Force. In Myk’s eyes, Brink was probably the best pilot he had in the fleet.

The numbers clicked down to zero.

“Mark!” Myk cried, and a second later he could feel the almost-imperceptible lurch of a capital ship entering hyperspace.

* * *

**Msst**

“Multiple contacts, milord,” The report came over his headset comm. “Directly ahead. Eighty-seven capital ships.”

“All units move forward and engage!” He commanded as he rolled his fighter to port and shoved his stick forward. The craft and his squadron rolled out from under the _Executor_ and was joined by two more squadrons of fighters. They fanned out among the fleet like minnows in a school of Corellian pike. “ _Executor_ , take point. _Resilience_ and _Vengeance_ , take your wings and fold them around the Jedi. We’ll trap them and pound them!”

* * *

“ _All fighter’s launch!”_ Myk ordered as he and Brink piloted the _Firebird_ out of _New Hope’s_ bay and into open space. His eyes scanned the scene in front of him and he instantly saw what was happening. “Change of plans,” He called. “All fighters, target the _Executor_ and prepare to launch missiles on my mark. Va’yle, have the fleet tighten the cone down to a point. We’re going to punch straight through the middle and come around the other side. Fighters, after launching your missiles, get back inside the formation. Steffan, if you can hear this, drop your hammer when my fighters launch their salvo.”

A chorus of affirmations rang through his headset as Myk targeted the SSD at the point of the Sith fleet. Ranging shots were beginning to flash between the fleets, but nothing was being severely pounded...yet. He watched as his aiming reticle slowly went from green to red and a steady tone sounded in the cockpit. “All fighters, use my targeting data and fire missiles on my mark,” Myk ordered. _“Mark!”_

Hundreds upon hundreds of purple-white streaks shot out from the Jedi formation as fighters loosed two proton torpedoes apiece. They converged about three kilometers out from the SSD into what looked like a massive comet intent on plowing through the eight-kilometer Super Star Destroyer. The Executor’s guns opened on the cloud of death coming its way, but it couldn’t stop them all. For a second, the massive ship was completely eclipsed in white light as the torpedoes slammed into the forward shields. They buckled and failed, and more torpedoes slammed into the hull, peeling away sheets of armor and melting turbolaser batteries.

“Fighters, fall back to positions inside the cone of the fleet,” Myk ordered as he pulled the _Firebird_ up and around in a corkscrewing loop towards his fleet. “Va’yle, concentrate all fire on the Executor and have the fleet begin its charge. We’ll take out their flagship, then rip through the middle of their formation. With a bit of skill, and a lot of luck, we’ll reform on the other side and start picking apart their rear.”

“Steffan, now would be a great time to unleash hell,” Myk called over the comm as the fleet began its drive. Sheets of red energy beams converged and slammed into the bare hull of the _Executor_ , vaporizing sheet upon sheet of armor and ripping out the other end. Bursts of fire shot from the ship as atmosphere escaped multiple breaches. Then the core went nova, and the fleet had their hole...

* * *

 _"Steffan, now would be a good time to unleash hell,"_ he heard over the comm unit and he started to activate the timers aboard _Repulse_ and uncloak the ship by remote.

“Hope you have shades on," he said as he started arming Blue Talon's weapon systems. "Because here it comes."

* * *

"Master, another Jedi ship has decloaked among our fleet. We're opening fire."

"Another ship," he asked as he turned his fighter over to see the newly arrived ship in among his fleet. Something did not feel right....

"Wait!" he yelled into the comm, "back away from that ship before...."

* * *

The first actions in the program that Myk and Steffan sliced into _Repulse's_ computers was to fire all of her turbolasers at anything that moved that was in range. Since the Sith pilots couldn't predict a computer's firing, they were getting shot down left and right along with other frigates and cruisers getting their shields overloaded until the energy reserves for the turbolasers were depleted and the second phase began.

The baradium lining the structural points exploded in a shaped fashion, sending hull plates out into the surrounding ships like a fragmentation grenade. Ships all over were getting speared by the fragments as the last explosion took place.

Steffan had programmed all eight of _Repulse's_ fusion reactors to go critical and had lined the compartment with the rest of the baradium and nergon-14 charges that were left to spare in the fleet. The resulting explosion produced so much heat that it melted the armor plating of the cruisers and Star Destroyers that were surrounding the ship. Fighters that were still too close were vaporized instantly while the other support ships stopped moving, the atmosphere inside the crew areas where superheated and burned the crews alive.

In all the confusion, the Jedi saw _Blue Talon_ flying out of the light of the explosion like a phoenix that had just risen again, her guns blazing away as Steffan started tearing into the Sith fleet. And the Jedi took heart in his battle cry as they too charged into the maelstrom.

* * *

For two solid minutes, the Jedi fleet was surrounded in a maelstrom of turbolaser and ion fire. Visibility was zero as they cut their way through the Sith armada. Damage reports came in a torrent of noise and static over the comm, but Myk shunted the feeling of remorse beginning to rise inside him. The time for mourning would come, but not now. _I need to stay focused so that those who've died will have fewer companions in the afterlife._

The _Firebird_ and the fighter squadrons flew close as they huddled inside the relative safety of the Jedi formation. The fire pounding them from outside came in sheets of green and blue energy waves. The Jedi returned fire on their run and Myk was immensely satisfied to see a large portion of the opposition vaporized by his and Steffan's ploy. Those that survived the blast were sufficiently chewed up as the Jedi cut their way through the middle.

And then, they were out the other side.

"All units, come around and flank them," Myk ordered. "Va'yle, you have command of the capital ships. Take them apart. Squadrons red and green, form up on me. The rest of the fighter squads are to engage enemy fighters. Stick close to the fleet and try to draw fire away from our cruisers. Keep your eyes out for bombers, and give them hell!"

Affirmations rang through his headset as the fleet carried out his commands. Red squadron's XJ-3's took up positions on Myk's starboard and port. Green's A-wings formed a tight cluster behind the freighter and its X-wing cover. The idea was to shield them from enemy sensors. It was a classic A-wing slash with a twist of Corellian bravado. Skill and bravery would carry a lot in this battle.

"Red group, slave your targeting telemetry to the _Firebird_ , and prepare to launch two more torps on my mark," Myk ordered as he rolled his ship through a rolling spiral that kept the Impstar Duece he was running at from getting a clean shot. "Green, follow the torps in. The shields will buckle. Empty your magazines of concussion missiles on my target. Go for the shield generators first, then slag her. Burn it for the fleet to reload and wait for more orders after your run."

_"Going for the duece, Grandpa?"_ Ter-Lon's voice came over the comm. He was a lot calmer than Myk had expected, but there was a bit of excitement creeping into the kid's voice.

"Hit 'em where they least expect it," Myk nodded though he knew Ter-Lon couldn't see him. "Almost at range..." A steady tone sounded in Myk's cockpit. "Mark!" A veritable torrent of proton torpedoes streaked through space towards the broadside of the Impstar Duece. Not waiting for the explosion, Myk pulled back on his control yoke. "Red Squadron, break and reform on me," He ordered. "Green, she's all yours!"

The A-wings blasted in after the torps, showing their speed as they cut through the opening in the shields and laced the Impstar Duece with concussion missiles. The generators blew within seconds and the whole of the battleship was soon enshrouded in flames.

"Green Squadron, report," Myk ordered as he rolled through another volley of turbolaser fire from a nearby _Victory_ -class Star Destroyer.

"Lost Greens nine and ten," Came the reply, strong and convicted. "It got really hot in there, but the Duece is down."

"Good work, head back to your cruiser for reload then join the defense fighters," Myk commed back.

_"As ordered."_

"Reds, on me," Myk said as he rolled the _Bird_ through a series of twists and turns that had him pointed back into the thick of things. "Enemy fighters are getting thick in here, but the capital ships can't fire when we're between them or they risk hitting their own. Even though I don't hold any stake in them, let's even the odds, shall we?"

 _"Aye, sir!"_ Was the resounding reply.

"Brink, take over," Myk said as he slipped off the headset comm and got up from the pilot's chair. "I'm taking the dorsal quads. Just keep us moving and try to stay between their cruisers. Arie, if you feel like vaping some Sith, the ventral guns are more heavily shielded."

"You got it, bud," Brink replied as Myk ran down the corridor and climbed the ladder to the dorsal quad.

He strapped in and slipped on the headset. "I'm set, Brink, I'd say 'put 'em in the money lane,' but finding targets isn't going to be hard in this mess." The Rogue grinned as he loosed a quad burst that separated a Sith fighter from its engines as it streaked by.

* * *

"Status report!" The Master ordered as he vaped one of the Jedi fighters harassing the _Executor_.

 _"We've lost thirty percent of our fleet, milord, and twenty are reporting hull damage...we just lost ISD II Revenge, milord,"_ The officer aboard the SSD replied, his voice subdued but there was still an edge to it.

"Losses were expected, soldier," The Master replied. "We'll hold. Have the fleet reform to face the opposition. Put our strongest ships forward and call back the damaged so they can repair their shields."

_"As you will it, milord."_

"And find me the _Firebird_ ," The Master added as he clipped the wings of an XJ-3. "Order Death Squadron to try for missile locks, and have them feed the telemetry to any nearby battleship. Fire if you have a solution. In the meantime, get me its location. I'll lead my squadron on a kill run if Death can't do the job. In the meantime, concentrate fire on _Blue Talon_. That blasted suit's done enough damage for one day."

 _"Aye, sir!"_ Came the reply, with much more enthusiasm this time.

* * *

**Aboard New Hope**

Making her rounds of _New Hope's_ med bay, Callista felt Ainar's sense fade from her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut against the pain, knowing that he had given his life in defense of all that the Jedi stood for.

Drawing a deep breath, and pushing the pain away, she continued her rounds.

* * *

Steffan was dodging left and right as he was focusing the beam cannon's crosshairs on the nearest Impstar, but the Sith fighters and escort ships had seemed to make it a point of interest to want a piece of his hide.

"I guess it doesn't take a genius to figure which ones are able to do that most damage," he mumbled as he picked off a fighter with the head cannons. "Myk...they look like they're wanting to gang up on me here."

_"Same here...I've got a whole squadron after me."_

"I think I'm gathering a bit more attention...but that may be just because I'm in a mobile suit."

 _"I'd say so,"_ he heard Myk on the other end. _"Wanna trade up?"_

"Just meet me in the middle," Steffan said as he pulled Blue Talon around. "You pick off some of mine, I'll pick off some of yours."

 _"Fair deal,"_ Brink chimed in. _"Coming at you."_

* * *

 _What the hell?_ Dilan asked himself as he saw _Blue Talon_ and _Firebird_ running right for the other. _"Dad, you're heading straight toward...."_

Then he saw it. _Firebird_ had dived just before the two ships collided and both started opening fire on the Sith that were on the other's tail. _I should've seen that coming...._

* * *

"Solid strike," Steffan said as he pulled up and pulled the tactical boards up to his left. "Myk, we're still getting trouble from that Impstar...but they're not letting me get a clear shot."

 _"Why take a shot?"_ Arie asked him. _"You've punched through a ship before."_

"That was a Karrack-class cruiser," Steffan told her. "Not an Impstar Deuce...but don't see why not."

* * *

"What is he doing?" The Sith captain in charge of _Invidious_ said as he watched _Blue Talon_ revert to its flight mode and start charging his ship. "I want the forward shields reinforced, _now_!"

* * *

"Here we go," Steffan said as he fired and used the Force to hurl two shadow bombs into the Star Destroyer. The shields lit up like a decorated life day tree before they came crashing down just mere moments before the mobile suit flew through. Steffan swept the wings back and streamlined the profile as he got closer to his target. He could already see the bridge crew running out of the room as the captain was screaming orders and he could feel the man trying to call upon the Force to divert his mobile suit...but he wouldn't have that.

Myk looked up just in time to see _Blue Talon_ punch through the bridge of the Star Destroyer. It took several moments before he saw the mobile suit punch back out from the spine of the command tower, several explosions following behind him. It seemed like not even seconds later before it transformed back into its warrior mode and he could see Steffan pumping two more shadow bombs into the ship's drive engines. That Star Destroyer wasn't going anywhere now.

 _"Nice job,"_ he said through the comm. " _How're you holding up?"_

"Not too bad," Steffan said as he was looking over diagnostics for damage. "I probably don't want to do that again. Stresses got pretty high when I did that and I don't want to do any damage to the structural framework."

"I don't think they've got that many large capships left," Myk told him. "I think we're good enough to take them out the old fashioned way."

"With pleasure."

* * *

 _Then again,_ Myk thought as Brink relayed him the battle stats from the cockpit. _They've still got us outgunned...by a lot. The Executor is still kicking, but they've pulled her back. The other SSD..._

"All craft," Myk called. "Ignore the SSD tagged _Nemesis_. It's a shell."

_"Are you sure, Myk?"_ Brink's voice came over the comm. _"It is an SSD and scanners show the shields are up."_

"Take a good look at her, Brink," Myk replied with a grim grin.

_"Shassa..."_ The smuggler hissed.

"Yeah," Myk nodded as he vaped a Sith fighter that had come a bit too close for comfort. "You noticed too."

The _Nemesis_ hung in space on the starboard wing of the Sith fleet. It fired occasionally, but it was sporadic and never aimed at anything. That, combined with the fact that it was only firing two dozen of the two to three hundred turbolasers an SSD boasted, proved that it was a bluff.

"Call all fighters and cruisers off of _Nemesis_ ," Myk ordered. "Reposition and form up with the fleet. We've almost evened the odds. Now, it's a slugging match. Put our strongest ships forward and pull those injured back. Let them rebuild their shields, then switch. Keep _New Hope_ out of danger, and make sure any injured get to her as soon as possible. If the fight starts going downhill, jump the _New Hope_ to Coruscant and pray for those of us left."

Affirmations rang, if somewhat somberly in his headset, and the fleet began to form up as ordered.

"We knew we were outmatched when we came here, people," Myk said as he dusted another of the Sith fighters hounding him. "You've all proven yourselves and more in this fight. I could ask nothing more from you. You've fought like heroes, worthy of having your names etched in durasteel next to the legends that came before you. Luke Skywalker, Wedge Antilles, Corran Horn, Han Solo...you all share a quality with those people that gives me hope. Courage."

Brink threw the _Bird_ through a twisting spiral around an enemy ImpStar. The torpedoes that had been following Myk's ship, slammed into the enemy's shields.

"It is that courage that fuels the fire within my soul right now. It is that courage that raises my hopes for this, what may be our last battle. It is that courage that lets me know that there is indeed something worth fighting for in this galaxy. It lets me know, that even if we are defeated here, that if even one of us survives, evil in all its forms will be opposed."

Myk let out a calming breath and shut off the opencom so he could talk to Brink without the fleet hearing. "Brink, get us and the Reds back to the fleet. We're going to charge them."

There wasn't even a catch of hesitation in Brink's voice as he said, "Aye, Myk."

Myk-Ron flipped the opencom back on. "Know this: I am a Rogue. I do not abide by the Code of the Jedi, nor am I particularly keen to all that they believe in, but I have never been more proud to be in such company. If this is to be our end, then so be it. But, I would have us make such an end." The fleet was assembled and the squadrons ready. Brink kept the _Firebird_ at the point as they prepared the charge.

The Sith armada began forming up as well, and a grin played on Myk's face as he saw that they were down to seventy capital ships and one limping SSD. The Jedi were holding at fifty capital ships...and, for the most part, none of them were limping.

"All ships, pick a target and go on my mark. Fly well, shoot straight, and give them hell," Myk said. He climbed out of the the gun well and made his way to the cockpit, taking the pilot's chair once more. "This is going to be really rough, Brink, Arie," Myk said as he reached for his headset. "Love, I promised you I'd live through this, and I will, but if you want to take the escape pod and get on _New Hope.._.now would be the time. I will come for you on Coruscant. Brink, same thing, buddy. You're one hell of a hot hand on a stick, but this isn't your war and you don't need to get yourself killed."

"All ships, hold positions until I give the word," Myk said into the headset comm. He looked to Arie and Brink as he awaited their answers.

* * *

"All ships form up and prepare to hold the line," The Master ordered as he rolled through a long loop that put him above the prow of _Executor_. The SSD was nearly crippled, and fires raged inside still, but his force was holding strong and their conviction never wavered.

"The Jedi have begun to prove themselves worthy," The Master grinned as his fleet moved into formation. "They mean to charge us head on. This is a warrior's day. This is a day for death, for honor, and for glorious battle! Remember what you fight for, and they shall break upon our line like water upon a cliff. You've done well, my soldiers. Your names shall be remembered."

He saw the _Firebird_ on his scanners taking the position at the point of the Jedi fleet. _Brave, Conduit._ The Master grinned. _Now we shall meet head-on, you and I. And we will see through whom the Force truly acts._

"All fighters, remain with the fleet," The Master ordered. "I am taking point. We charge when they do, and I shall lead you all to glory."

The sounds of battle cries and cheers erupted in the Master's headset and he grinned tightly. Had he asked, they would follow him to hell and enjoy the ride. He fed off their confidence and allowed a full smile to blossom on his face.

_This would be chaos and beauty._

* * *

Ainar opened his eyes and looked around, there was light everywhere, nothing was visible but bright, white light. He looked at himself and saw clean robes, he didn't feel hurt either. _This isn't right...I remember blood, fire..._

_"Don't worry, you haven't gone far."_

Ainar looked up and saw Kevin there, donning his ceremonial robe smiling.

"Am I dead?" Ainar asked him.

Kevin just smiled at him, _"You could say you've crossed onto a path that is not meant for you, not yet"_

"That's a relief."

Kevin smiled and walked closer to Ainar, pulling him into a hug. Ainar returned the hug, he had missed his friend.

"Did I do it?" Ainar asked, referring to the mission.

_"Nothing left but debris my friend, it worked..though it wasn't a real threat, but the act itself was worth of a Jedi"_

"It was a scarecrow..I should have felt it."

 _"Don't worry about it, it was courageous of you, and it did help. With one Super Star Destroyer in flames, the hopes of the Jedi fighting in this war went up, you gave them a fighting chance in their hearts."_ Kevin explained to him.

"When you put it like that, I feel a little better," Ainar said grinning at his friend. "But why am I here?"

Kevin looked puzzled. _"Truth be told...I don't know. You're still alive, badly hurt but alive. You shouldn't be here."_

Ainar stroked his beard in contemplation. "I might be dying, or comatose?" Ainar asked.

Kevin shook his head. _"No..I felt you crash, and I know you are alive and will pull out of this, whatever happened."_

 _"I brought him here, Kevin.."_ a soft voice said, coming from the light.

Ainar froze and watched the silhouette of a slender woman form in the light. Tears began to form in his eyes and he fell to his knees, just as the spirit of his late wife came closer. Ainar looked to where Kevin was standing and saw his friend smiling.

 _"Looks like you have a visitor...May the Force be with you Ainar, and take care of my son,"_ Kevin said as he disappeared, leaving Ainar and Kate behind.

Ainar couldn't speak, he just sat there frozen. Kate walked closer, she was smiling. Her hair was lose, flowing and it was like her entire being was filled with the light. She took his hands and pulled Ainar to his feet. Ainar couldn't stop the tears as he was face to face with his wife once more.

 _"Sshhh, don't cry,"_ she said wiping his tears away with her hand.

Ainar couldn't look into her eyes, he was too ashamed. "I'm sorry Kate..for what I did, I dishonored myself, the Jedi and your memory..."

Kate just smiled at him _"We all make mistakes, but you've come so far since then...you've accepted what happened and you forgave yourself, your friends, family..we have all forgiven you...and we love you."_

Ainar looked up and met her gaze. "I've missed you so much," he said as he pulled her in closer and hugged her tightly. He kissed his wife, for what seemed like an eternity and he felt all the guilt and anger dissipate from within.

Kate held his hand and looked at him. "You must go now...you're needed, your friends need your help."

Ainar squeezed her hand, "I know...I love you."

Kate let go of his hand and smiled at him. _"I love you too..."_

Ainar snapped awake in the cockpit of the downed fighter. The smell of burned wires and blood filled his nostrils.

His eyes were still wet from crying, but when he reached up to dry his face. Something didn't work.

He looked at his hand, his hand was broken in multiple locations. He couldn't help his friends like this, he couldn't even help himself. His entire body ached as he tried to move, he had lost a lot of blood..and he needed help, soon.

_Steffan..hear me.._

* * *

"Oh, gods above......" Callista jerked back to reality when she felt Ainar's call to Steffan. It was weak, but she had felt it. Strengthening it, she sent it on.

he jumped to her feet and sprinted across the med bay; punching the ship-to-ship comm. "Steffan, scan for Ainar's fighter, we need to get him here yesterday!" She knew Ainar didn't have much time. He was fading, his sense was steady, for the moment.

A few of the Jedi in the bay looked up as she spoke into the comm, wondering. She didn't have time to explain... Back across the med bay she ran, skidding into her office as she stopped to gather supplies. Her assistant looked up. "Master...?" Callista slowed down long enough to say over her shoulder, "Prep the ICU immediately, we have someone inbound..." The younger Jedi nodded and hurried to do as asked.

Rounding her desk, Callista flung open the supply cabinet, grabbing anything and everything that she would need. She staggered slightly as she exited her office, and her assistant appeared, removing some of the items from Callista's arms. "Let me help you with that, Master." Callista nodded her thanks as they entered the ICU. Setting her burden down quickly, she set to work. She had never dealt with anything like this, but her skills were up to the task.

Her assistant continued prepping the ICU as Callista expanded her senses to find Ainar. He was weak, but his pain blazed like a beacon in her mind. _There you are...._ She touched his mind, helping to push away his pain. _Ainar, I am here. Let me help, please....._ An idea formed itself in her mind, and she presented it to him. _I can put you in a healing trance to slow the bleeding until you get here....._ She waited as he made his decision. In her mind, she could sense his acceptance. _Go ahead_ he answered. _I'll see you soon..._

* * *

Steffan felt the call, and heard Callista's message that she had broadcast in the clear.

_"We need him back,"_ Myk told him over the comm.

"You can't spare me just yet," Steffan told him as he checked his systems.

_"We can't let him die down there!"_ Arie yelled at him. _"Steffan, you've got to...."_

"And leave all of you staring down _Executor's_ barrels?" Steffan asked in return as he finished checking his weapons. "We need to at least cripple her before anything can happen."

"I thought you said _Blue Talon_ couldn't handle another ramming," Brink said.

"I have an idea," Steffan told them as he lined the suit up. "It’s your call Myk."

* * *

**The Rogues' Gambit**

"You're right about one thing, Steffan," Myk replied. _"_ Ainar can wait. I feel horrible saying that, but we do have more pressing matters and we can't afford to send one of our strongest weapons out of the fray."

The look on Arie's face was a mixture of horror at leaving a man behind, and resignation as she realized that she'd probably have made the same decision. Myk was holding well under the strains of command, and she began to wonder if she'd been underestimating him the whole time...not that she'd tell him that, of course. Force forbid the man to get a boost to his ego, the universe might rupture.

"Steffan, we're at a stand-off right now," Myk said as he gazed at the Sith fleet dead ahead. "Either one of us makes a move, and all hell will break loose. Let's hold for a few more minutes and try to catch our..."

 _"Did I just hear Myk-Ron Dinn say he was going to hesitate?"_ A familiar voice broke through the static on the open comm.

 _"I think you did,"_ Came another, very familiar voice. _"It also sounds like he's not looking forward to all hell breaking loose."_

_"I'll be an Agamar nerf-herder! Death must really change people!"_

On his scanners, Myk saw nothing, but by bouncing the signal he could guess the communications were coming from either side of him. Sure enough, as he looked out to port and starboard, two very familiar ships materialized out of the nothing that had been there moments before. Off to his port was what looked like an old Imperial _Lambda_ -Class shuttle, but the weapons bristling on it belied the power the old thing packed. On his starboard was a Firespray, and there was no mistaking the added turbolasers mounted above the ship's rotational gun turrets.

"Nik? Vince?" Myk asked. "How...what...where?"

 _"I don't remember him being this inarticulate, either,"_ Nik quipped.

_"Maybe, it's not really him,"_ Vince's voice replied cautiously. _"Hey, that freighter looks like a rancor's chew toy!"_

"Watch it, blaster-brains, or you'll find yourself on the receiving end of a laser bath!" Myk shot back.

_"Yup,"_ Nik-Yar Randar's grin could almost be heard in his laugh.

_"It's him,"_ Vincent Rane agreed.

"What are you guys doing here?" Myk asked. The Sith fleet seemed content with the standoff and wasn't making a move to engage just yet.

_"We heard you were back,"_ Nik commed.

_"And we couldn't let you have all the fun,"_ Vince added.

_"Besides, it looks like you could use the help, and Vince and I have been dying to give these new cloaking shields a try,"_ Nik said as he waggled his wings like an impatient fighter jock.

"New cloaking shields?" Myk asked.

 _"Yeah,"_ Vince sounded excited. " _You can see through these ones!"_

 _"Got 'em from the Republic Military,"_ Nik added.

"How in the Force did a couple of rimrats like you two scrounge up enough cash to pay for those?" Myk asked as he looked towards Arie.

She shrugged and shook her head. _Don't look at me, Love._ she sent, slyly grinning.

 _"Would ya listen to this guy?"_ Vince sounded wounded. _"Are you **sure** this is Myk we're talking to?"_

_"Well, I was...maybe death really does change a guy,"_ Nik replied slowly. _"Pay? Myk, we stole them. What do you think we are, respectable?"_

Myk's laughter filled the headset comm and the warm feeling in his gut began to spread throughout his body. "A lot had changed when I got back, guys. I am so glad you haven't!"

_"Will ya listen to this nerf-herder?"_ Vince shot. _"You'd think he'd gone soft or something. Just shut up and tell us when to charge."_

"Space-it, Vince," Myk grinned. "We go on my mark, but I just got an idea for you you and Nik. When we charge, I want you and Nik to cloak and break off the run. Find the two strongest ships out there, unload whatever missiles you've got and feed the telemetry to a nearby cruiser. If you guys are still as good as I remember, it shouldn't be a problem."

_**"If?"**_ Came Nik's voice, full of surprise. _"If we're still good?"_

_"When this is over,"_ Vince called. _"You owe us a tavern, damnit. Not just a drink!"_

"Whatever," Myk shrugged. "Just be ready." The Rogue turned to his wife. "Well, babe?"

He could see in her eyes that she would stay with him on the _Firebird_ even if he flew it through a star, and the same loyalty and determination burned in Brink's eyes as well. He just wanted to hear them say the words before he gave the order to charge...

* * *

"You should know better, Rogue. I’m at your side from here to eternity," Arie smiled at her husband.

"All the way, man." Brink replied, nodding in agreement towards Myk-Ron. He heard Nik and Vince's cheers over the comm in reply as well.

Myk-Ron gave his wife a knowing grin.

 _Hey...they knew you were back not long after *I* knew you were back...I've had them running_ _ **errands**_ _for me, alright? They've been busy, otherwise would have been here sooner_.~ Arie sent to her husband, who gave her his traditional smuggler grin

"Let's do this." Brink said, taking Arie's hint as he and Myk prepared to charge....

* * *

 _"Have at it!"_ Steffan heard over his headset and he ran the engine throttle to the stops, sending his mobile suit streaking towards _Executor_.

"Almost in range," he said to himself as he thumbed the beam cannon to its highest intensity. The cannon, while he was in flight mode, was mounted in front to make the nose of the ship and would act as the opening he would need.

At full speed, Steffan only had a few moments before his craft would hit the SSD's bow.

 _"She can't take another one of those!"_ Myk yelled into the comm. _"You said it yourself!"_

The crosshairs went from green to yellow to red in a second as Steffan lined up on Executor's bow and fired. The shot hit exactly at the point and started shearing the hull and superstructure away and continued to burn down the length of the ship before the beam burned out a huge hole at the back of the ship.

The secondary explosions were already happening when Myk saw Steffan fly his mobile suit into the hole that his shot had created. He couldn't tell what Steffan was doing, but the continuous chain of explosions along the SSD was tearing off pieces of the ship from inside. He half expected to see _Blue Talon_ to come out from the back of the Executor, but it never did. _What in the.....?!?_

Seconds had passed like minutes before _Blue Talon_ emerged not from astern of the SSD, but up through the command tower. It was in its warrior mode, holding its beam saber in hand as it carved its way out of the superstructure.

Steffan side slipped the mobile suit just in time to avoid the fireball explosion that erupted through the hole he made through the command tower and jetted away from the _Executor_ before a massive explosion rocked the mobile suit as the SSD's main engines overloaded and exploded, shearing away the aft third of the ship.

_His attention wasn't on the ship..._

Myk could see the shower of sparks and arcs of power that were coming from several joints in Blue Talon's framework. "Are you alright?"

"I've felt better," he replied wearily as Myk and Arie's image came up on the corner of his front screen. Steffan was holding a hand to his forehead where he had started bleeding after an explosion had hit his head against one of the screens. "I've lost some maneuverability and I'm having to recharge the beam cannon after that shot."

 _"What all did you do in there?"_ Arie asked as Steffan tore part of his robes and wrapped it around his head to put pressure on the wound.

"I found out that my shot had exploded a torpedo magazine," he told them as he tied the strip of cloth. "Made a nice cavern large enough for me to change modes and start carving away with my saber. I made it all the way to the main reactors and planted what shadow bombs I had left then carve my way up through the tower. How'd I do?"

 _"And you thought I was nuts!"_ both Myk and Arie yelled at him in unison.

"I'm still good for the fight," Steffan said as he pumped a few shots into a passing Sith fighter that tried to strafe him. "Let’s get 'em."

* * *

Callista had been monitoring the comm while she prepped. When she heard Myk, she wanted to scream. _I can’t believe them, she thought to herself as she fought back her anger. She had to turn away so her assistant wouldn’t see how hard she struggled with her anger. Ainar’s out there dying, and they just leave him._

She shot out her hand and grabbed a medkit off the shelf as the other Jedi looked up. “Master Gseran, what’s wrong?” She looked over at her assistant, and the intense emotion in her eyes caused the other Jedi to step back in surprise. “I need to go to Ainar, he is dying. His wounds are life-threatening, I must get him here as soon as I can.”

Turning away, she rushed out of the med-bay, leaving behind a very bewildered assistant. Sprinting down the corridors of New Hope, she reached the landing bay in two minutes flat. She skidded around the corner and entered the bay, not even out of breath. The mechanic on duty glanced up as she entered, and rose to his feet. “How may I help you, Master?”

“I need to borrow one of the courier shuttles, right away.” He started to ask the reason, and then he got a look at her face and stopped.

“You can use the courier shuttle over there,” He pointed to it, and then bowed. Nodding her head in acknowledgment and thanks, she sprinted across the deck and boarded the courier. She hadn’t flown for a while, but she sat down and familiarized herself while she cold-started. She could feel Ainar fading quickly as she brought the shuttle up on its repulsors and angled it out of the bay, and towards Msst.

Pushing the throttle to the wall, she streaked across space. She knew there wasn’t much time. As she hit the atmosphere, he faded from her mind. The mental anguish almost sent her spinning out of control, but she wrestled back on course. She could still help him.

The shuttle slid to a halt, and Callista palmed the hatch release. _Better keep a lookout for Mistmakers,_ she thought to herself. She could hardly see her hand in front of her face through the thick mist that engulfed her as she disembarked. She could see a trail of debris and broken branches not too far off, as well as sense the disturbance in the Force caused by the fighter’s demise. She headed in that direction at a full-out run.

 _I hope I’m not too late_. She rounded a corner of the wrecked fighter, and her breath caught in her throat as she fought back the urge to vomit. Ainar lay in a twisted heap, his head lolling to the side. His right hand was a ruined mess, and he lay in a pool of his own blood.

* * *

Ter-lon's fighter raced in between Sith fighters, giving them a run for their money. Then he felt it.... _Master!_ he silently breathed and then he felt Callista’s presence beside his master...down on the planet below. He steered out of the firefight and quickly set a path for Callista's shuttle on Msst. The fighter descended through a cloud of mist and soon he began the landing cycle and touched down on firm ground.

* * *

 _Oh, Gods_. Falling to her knees, she reached out to him, both with her hands and through the Force. Where his presence had been, there was now a black void. There’s still a chance. She leaned over him and begun chest compression and CPR. She bathed him with the Force as she did so, repairing what damage she could temporarily.

Suddenly, he turned his head and coughed weakly. She smiled crookedly. “Don’t you ever do that to me again. I won’t always be here to rescue you.” Ainar laughed weakly, but it turned into a coughing fit instead.

"Master...." Ter-lon breathed, bending over beside Callista and his master.

* * *

Her danger-sense flared, and she threw a Force-shield around Ainar as Ter-lon drew his saber. A Mistmaker reached out to them with its dripping tentacles. Ducking beyond its reach, he hacked off the tentacles before chopping the creature in half. She extended the shield to cover herself and Ainar once more as the creature’s guts rained down on them, sizzling against the barrier. _If any of that had touched us_ , she thought and shuddered.

"Help me get him on the shuttle. We need to get him to the med bay on _New Hope_ immediately." Callista said. Ter-lon nodded and together they stretched through the Force, their energy binding as they levitated Ainar's body off of the ground and into the transport shuttle that Callista had piloted.

"I'll escort you back to _New Hope_." Ter-lon said and sprinted to his fighter. The two ships lifted off the planet floor and set course for the Jedi ship in orbit...

Arie felt Ainar's Force signature growing dimmer by the moment and she knew she would never reach him in time, even if Myk crash-landed the _Firebird_ on Msst so she could be there with him...

 _Thank the Force Callista and Ter-lon are there with him..._ Arie thought to herself, feeling the two preparing to depart for _New Hope._

 _Time for you to show me what you've learned, girl.....you know all the techniques I taught you...learned them well...you and Ter-lon get him to New Hope, I can't help you on this one.._ Arie sent to Callista, hoping to instill courage in the young woman, entrusting Ainar's life in her hands.

"The Sith are beginning to land forces on Msst...apparently quite a strong army too..." Brink read off the scopes.

Arie looked at Myk-Ron and swallowed hard. _You'll have to meet them planet-side and end this the old fashioned way.._. Arie sent to her husband, knowing that it wouldn't be too much longer before the Sith would beckon the Jedi to battle them on the ground of Msst in saber combat...

* * *

Callista slapped the comm. “This is Master Gseran. I need priority landing clearance, and have a crash team waiting for me.”

“ _Acknowledged,”_ _New Hope_ replied. Landing gently, she rose and palmed the hatch release to admit the crash team. “We need to get him to the ICU now!” The medics nodded and rushed out of the bay, Callista following.

Ter-lon caught up with her in the corridor. He still wore his flight gear, and he still had his lightsaber in his hand.

“I can take him from here,” Callista assured him. “He’ll be okay. I promise.”

Ter-Lon eyed the limp form of his Master as he was carted into the med bay. Callista followed his eyes, then placed a hand on his shoulder. “He’s in good hands,” She said. “Trust me.”

The young Knight nodded, his eyes taking a far-away look. Callista had seen it before and recognized a collapse before it happened. “Why don’t you take a seat in here,” She guided Ter-Lon into a small examination room. “Just rest for a while, I’ll have someone in to check on you in a little bit.”

Again Ter-Lon nodded. Wordlessly, he did as she said.

Slightly worried, Callista left him, and prepared for surgery. But, not in the normal sense of the word. Ainar was stretched out on the bed in ICU, already in a healing trance. The medics had declothed him from the waist up, so that Callista could work on him easier.

She cringed as she took in his battered and broken form. His right hand was a jumble of raw flesh and shattered bone. She rested her hands lightly on his torso, and sank into a healing meditation. His insides felt wrong. His broken ribs had pierced the left lung, collapsing it.

Using her healing skills, she was able to extract the rib from the lung and fuse it back together. She knew that he would need at least a day in a bacta tank to heal the surface wounds. Taking his mangled hand in hers, she gently set the bones the bones in his hand, using the Force to dull the pain.

He had lost the majority of his blood while he lay bleeding on Msst. Callista pulled some matching his type from the Medical stores. Gently inserting the needle in his arm, she continued cleaning his wounds.

* * *

It had been six hours since Callista had saved Ainar’s life. She dozed in a chair next to his bed, ready to help him when he awoke. She felt a light touch to her mind. _Hail, my savior._ Ainar looked over at her and grinned.

She laughed out loud for the first time in days. _Well, look who came back from the dead. You don’t look half-bad for a dead man,_ she joked.

He grinned. He started to sit up, and Callista rose to help him. “Your ribs are still knitting, so you might feel stiff and sore for a few days. Your hand was pretty torn up, and that arm was broken in two places.”

He looked down at his right arm where it rested in a sling. His right hand was swathed in white gauze. Looking up at here he asked, “How long?”

“Six hours. I had to stick you in a bacta tank for most of it. You were a mess.”

He nodded. “Any chance I could....?”

She knew what he was going to say before he said it. “No way in Hell are you going back out there, not on my watch.”

He looked at her. “Callista, you know as well as I do how much they need me. Please, let me help them.”

She sighed. “You have a point. Not many people can pull the stunt that you did.”

He looked down briefly. “Yeah, and I died.”

She was quiet for a second. “Well, you’re here now, right?”

He nodded. “ Please, Callista, give me something for the pain, and let me out of this place, I want to go help.”

She nodded. “Alright.” She reached into the cabinet on the wall, extracting a painkiller/stimulant. “This is very powerful, so please be careful. I don’t want to have to come after you.”

He grinned.


	12. Chapter 12

"Why land the remainder of their forces on the planet when they're still fielding a sizeable amount of ships?" Steffan asked as he watched the tactical feed from _New Hope_ on the cockpit's forward screen.

 _"Revenge?"_ Brink asked from the _Firebird_. _"Get back at the Jedi for defeating them at Rhen Var and losing most of their fleet here? I mean, I thought combat with a lightsaber was more honorable for the two sides."_

"The Sith are without honor," Steffan said as he leaned back in the pilot's seat. "And this is more than just a return to a traditional battle."

"What are you thinking, Steffan," Arie asked him.

"Bane wasn't your typical Sith...and this one has been cunning from the start, with building their forces and training warriors. This is something on a scale I never thought possible. Myk, what do you think?"

"Two things," Myk replied as he threw the _Bird_ through a hairpin smuggler's reverse. As his aft drifted dangerously close to the nose of a Sith Starfighter that he'd just been going head-to-head with, he kicked in the sublight at full power and vaporized the craft in ion exhaust. "One: Less talking, more vaping. Two: whoever's in charge on the other end isn't Sith, which is really irrelevant anyway. Because, no matter what he is or isn't, he just took out Red Squadron...on his own."

"By the Force," Steffan breathed. "Ter-Lon..."

"The kid's fine," Myk said, a little hotter than he'd wanted." He's on _New Hope_ with Callista. Remind me; if we all live through this, I need to talk to those two."

"Brink, try to get me the frequency their lead is using," Myk said as he rolled the _Firebird_ on her side and side-slipped between two enemy dreadnoughts. One of them had been tracking him with turbolaser fire, and, consequently, ended up ripping a line down the other dreadnaught's port side. "I want to ask him something."

"Working on it," Brink replied as he began tapping keys on the comm system.

The whole thing was abuzz with traffic, and Myk winced at the damage reports rolling in. He could hear the fear, anger, excitement, and despair evident in the pilots' voices.

_"Gold three, I can't shake him!"_

_"I've got him!"_

_"No...wait!"_

_"White two is EV!"_

_"Rampart just lost shields!"_

_"Mayday! Mayday!"_

_"Somebody, HELP!"_

_"Watch your six, Lead!"_

_"She's...gone..."_

With every passing minute, more died. The weight of it all settled squarely on Myk-Ron's shoulders and threatened to crush the Rogue.

 _Can't think like that_ , he told himself. _There'll be time to mourn after. I have to stay focused on the now or more will join the dead._

"Mon Cal cruiser, _Corsuca Gem_ , just lost port shields!"

Myk checked his HUD and saw that he was close enough to the _Gem_ to help. A _Lancer_ -class frigate was pounding her port side with laser fire. The _Lancers_ were designed as anti-snubfighter machines, and the lasers weren't nearly as strong as those found on, say, a Star Destroyer...but enough would take down the _Gem_.

"Brink, scratch the comm thing for a moment," Myk ordered as he flipped the _Firebird_ through a loop and dove for the frigate. "Get me targeting solutions for all the guns on that lancer's starboard side, then feed the telemetry to everyone nearby."

"You got it, boss," Brink replied.

A dozen boxes appeared on Myk's heads-up, marking the gun emplacements on the side of the _Lancer_ that was facing the _Gem_. "All fighters near the _Corsuca Gem_ ," Myk called. "I'm feeding you targeting solutions. On my mark, launch two missiles."

Myk's targeting box quickly went from yellow to red and a steady tone sounded in the cockpit. "Mark!"

From all over, purple-white streaks shot through space and slammed into the lancer's starboard side.

"Guns are down," Brink reported.

" _Corsuca Gem_ ," Myk called. "Get all of your port tractor beams on that _Lancer_ , NOW! Pull her close and use her as a shield!"

_"Affirmative, Sir."_

"Sometimes I forget that you fought in the Thrawn War," Brink said as he went back to work on the comm. "Then you go and steal the man's genius."

"Ah," Myk grinned. "I like to call it, 'borrowing without permission.' But he's dead anyway. What's he gonna do?"

"Good point."

* * *

The Sith fleet had taken a beating. The Jedi had proved themselves worthy adversaries. Still, their numbers were dwindling fast, and, as he broke to port before spitting an X-wing in his cross-hairs and lancing its engine assembly with laser-fire, he let a small grin play on his face.

Out of the main fighting for a moment, he glanced at his scanners...somehow he'd lost two capital ships in the rear of his fleet, but there were no...then he saw them. There was the slightest of blurs in the backdrop of stars as the _Dauntless_ exploded. Cloaking shields...clever.

"Rearguard, watch for ion exhaust trails and keep your shields up," he ordered. "There are two cloaked ships in your midst."

"Aye, milord!"

His squadron was down to two fighters, him and his wingman. "Blade two, on my wing," He ordered. "Keep your shields even. We have the _Firebird_."

A double-click on his comm signified Blade Two's acknowledgment of the order.

He checked his scopes before heading in. "Star Destroyers _Harbinger_ , _Deathlance_ , _Revenge_ , and _Misery_ , I want that damned suit taken down! Pin him and unleash hell!"

After getting confirmations from all four captains, he dove into the battle and began a weaving run for the _Firebird_. _All the quadanium in the galaxy can't protect you from the combined fire of four ImpStar Dueces,_ Blue Talon _. Let's see how good you are without your precious suit, Karrde._

* * *

"I've got that channel for you, Myk," Brink said as Myk threw his ship into a side-long barrel roll, evading more fire from the swarm of fighters he found himself in.

"Good," Myk let a sly grin spread on his face. "Put me through."

"As ordered," Brink flipped the appropriate switch.

"I see you on my scopes," Myk said as he rolled through a twisting loop that put him behind a Sith Starfighter. With a burst from the ventral quads, the engines blew apart and sent the craft tumbling end over end. Having Arie on the quads almost felt like cheating, but the Rogue just let a feral grin spread across his face. "Come to try your hand at a real challenge?"

_"Ah, the ever-present cockiness of a fighter jock,"_ The other's mocking voice came back, distorted through the comm. Yet somehow, Myk swore it sounded vaguely familiar. " _Wouldn't you be better suited in an X-wing, leading a squadron, and not a ragtag fleet?"_

"I'd be better suited with you in my targeting box," Myk replied as he side-slipped onto his opponent's flight path. "Make my day, and keep your course."

Myk's target box went green and he loosed a burst from the forward guns, but the enemy rolled hard to port and escaped unscathed.

_"Come now,"_ He chided. _"Where's the sport in that?"_

"Where's the sport in any of this?" Myk shot back as he went into a long loop that put him on the fighter's tail. "What is this to you, a game?"

_You could call it that,"_ Was the reply. He juked his craft in every direction, and Myk was hard-pressed to stay on his tail. _"Life is one big Dejarik board, and we're all just pieces. In that sense, this is a game. A game you will not be winning."_

Myk caught the blip on his rear scanners in time to roll into a starboard-sweeping arc and evade the green lasers lancing towards his aft end. A half a heart-beat later, an explosion marked the end of that tail as Arie continued to blast away.

"You'll find I don't always play by the rules," Myk said as he came out of his arc and flew straight between two friendly Star Destroyers. The big ships laid down covering fire and the Sith were forced to break off Myk's tail. The Rogue came around from behind them and dove onto a vector that would intercept the Lead's flight path.

The Sith pulled a beautiful smuggler's reverse and Myk pulled hard up on the control yoke. He put the _Bird_ through the tightest climb she could handle and was on the Sith's tail once more.

_"You've proven yourself a hot hand on a stick,"_ The Lead said. " _I think we've punished you enough in this battle. What say you to a day's rest, and then we meet dirt-side for a final confrontation?"_

"What, afraid I might end your game right now?" Myk asked as he squeezed off a snap shot. It went wide.

_"Hardly,"_ The enemy laughed _. "My soldiers on the ground yearn for battle, and you've proven yourself honorable in combat. We will give you a day to tend to your wounded, then meet us on the planet. Consider this a temporary truce. Break it, and we will begin by targeting your medical ships."_

The Lead broke Myk's lock and began a run back to his fleet.

_"Order your forces to stand down, and we will follow suit."_

"How do I know you won't just blast us out of the sky?" Myk asked.

_"You don't,"_ The lead simply replied. _"But do you really believe you are the only people with honor in this galaxy?"_

"Cut the comm, Brink," Myk said and Brink complied.

"You're not seriously thinking about it," The Smuggler arched an eyebrow at the Rogue.

"Thinking about it, yes," Myk nodded as he headed back to the heat of things. "Am I sure? No."

"Well, you'd better make up your mind quick," Brink said as he pointed out the viewport. "Steffan's about to get pounded..."

"Oh, _krif_!" The Rogue swore. He couldn't get the words "Stand down" out of his mouth quick enough, and he watched as all four ImpStar Dueces surrounding _Blue Talon_ opened up...

"All ships," Myk called frantically. "Fall back to the far side of the system and stand down! That's an order! _Steffan, get out of there!_ "

* * *

_"All ships,"_ Steffan heard Myk call frantically over the comm. _"Fall back to the far side of the system and stand down! That's an order! Steffan, get out of there!"_

"Always at the last minute!!!!" Steffan groaned under the stress he was experiencing from the sudden climb he was putting to avoid fire that was coming at him, but he was still taking numerous hits from all four of the Star Destroyers that had him boxed in.

He was pulling all the maneuvers that he knew, the stresses were pushing him back into the pilot's seat. He couldn't afford to line up any kind of shots against the ships right now. But he couldn't even do it if he had the chance. _Blue Talon'_ s torpedo magazines were depleted now and the beam cannon's power cells were still recharging. The turbolasers from the four Impstars were not letting him get close enough to use the saber, either. He was purely on the defensive.

"Dad!" Dilan called out from _White Squall_ . "We'll draw fire for you!"

"You'll do no such thing!" Steffan yelled under the stress he was having to go through. "I will not have your mother and sisters crying over all three of us! You two get back to the _New Hope_...that's an order, Jedi!"

He barely heard Dilan acknowledge as he spiraled over a barrage from the Impstar to his left, but got slammed from the one on the right. He didn't even need to see the warning on his right to know that _Blue Talon_ had lost her armor covering the right arm and wing. And, he knew that the maneuvers he was pulling combined with the additional hits were taking out the components in the framework and shearing away more of the quantum armor.

_I won't die here like this,_ he said to himself as he let his left hand start entering in what coordinates he could remember as he continued to do his best to dodge what he could. If he was off his mark by just the slightest margin, he'd never recover from the maneuver he was planning...and he just felt the right arm tear away just under the shoulder armor, the beam cannon in its hand overloaded and exploded behind him as its power cells were suddenly hit by laser fire. But, it was just enough distraction time for him to reach for the hyperdrive lever.

He'd never jumped _Blue Talon_ when it was in its mobile suit mode...now he would see if his theory was right.

And _Blue Talon_ winked out of existence from the box that the Sith destroyers had created.

* * *

" _White Squall_ coming in on final approach," Ryneas said as he wiped tears from his eyes. "If they've..."

"Don't talk like that yet," Dilan warned him as he finished lining the ship up with _New Hope's_ hanger bay. "It was Master Dinn's call, and Dad can handle her well enough to..."

"Look!" Ryneas suddenly yelled, pointed out the starboard side. Dilan followed the direction as he saw the pseudo motion of hyperspace and saw _Blue Talon_ flash into existence kilometers away from them...

...just in time to see a massive explosion take place behind the mobile suit.

"DAD!" They both yelled as Dilan snapped _White Squall_ out of position and onto an intercept course like she was a fighter. "Ryneas, get the tractors ready! _New Hope_ , prepare for incoming!"

* * *

"Out of the way!" Arie yelled as she was sprinting down the upper gangway of the hangar deck. _Blue Talon_ was barely standing on her own, Dilan insisting that the crews place suspension cables to keep the massive suit in place.

A third of her armor had been blown away, and most of the superstructure damaged. The right arm had been completely sheared away at its elbow and the shoulder joint and wing armor had been whittled down to the framework. The legs, which housed the sublight and hyperdrive engines, didn't fare any better. In fact, one of the sublight engines had fried and the exhaust vectors had burned away. The massive shield that acted as part of the nose for the mobile suit's flight mode had been chipped away in pieces and Arie could see bits and pieces of the launchers for the torpedoes along with the area that held its beam saber.

Already ahead of her, Dilan was running up from where he landed _White Squall,_ and already yelling at the crews to stand back.

"Hold it, Arie!" he yelled at her, not letting age and manners distract him. "Everyone get back from the hatch!"

Dilan punched a section of armor, flipping a panel up that had covered a large control panel. Dilan entered five keys in a sequence before slamming his fist down on the plunger next to the pad.

Instantly, the armored hatch gave way under several explosive bolts and was launched several meters in front of the mobile suit. Seconds later, the inner hatch opened upward and Dilan could already tell from the acrid smoke coming out that the cockpit was in no better shape.

Arie came around behind Dilan and held her hand to her mouth. Steffan was slumped forward unconscious in the pilot's seat, the only thing keeping him from falling forward was the harness. Several control panels had shorted out and were still putting out smoke. The control screens were darkened and the only thing that didn't seem damaged was the control sticks that were used to pilot the mobile suit. But, that was only because Steffan still had a deathgrip on them.

Dilan wasted no time in pulling a vibroblade out of his robes and started to cut the harness off so he could pull his father out of the pilot's chair. "Stretcher!" he yelled, Arie helping him carry Steffan out of the cockpit and down the gangway where the stretcher was waiting.

* * *

**The trials of a leader...**

The Sith fleet had indeed held true to their word and were currently orbiting Msst...but, not until after they'd ripped apart Blue Talon. Steffan was nuts, jumping like he did, but at least he was breathing. Besides, Myk could appreciate a little crazy now and then. He'd been called that on more than one occasion, himself. In truth, he respected the hell out of the Jedi, though he’d never just say it aloud.

The _Firebird_ was in the hangar, looking a little worse for wear, along with two XJ-3's, _White Squal_ , _Valiant_ , _Blue Talon_ , Nik's shuttle the _Phantom_ , and Vince's _Firespray Black Dragon_. Most of the wounded were on one of the two medical frigates in the fleet, but the severe cases were brought straight to _New Hope_.

A debriefing/briefing was scheduled for a little over sixteen hours from the point of the truce. Everyone needed some rest after what they'd been through.

Myk-Ron, Arie, Dilan, Ryneas, and Callista were in the med bay where Steffan laid, unconscious. Myk made sure to make a round and visit all of the other patients before checking on his friend. Playing favorites was not something he was going to let himself do.

"How's he holding up?" Myk asked. Steffan floated in a bacta tank as the others looked on.

"A few cracked ribs, slight concussion from earlier in the fight," Callista said as she kept an eye on the monitors. "Left arm is broken and he went through a lot of g-stresses in those maneuvers he was pulling. They...they put him through hell.... He got the worst of their attention."

"How long before he's able to get back in," Arie asked her as she kept a hand to her face.

"It'll be a day at least before he's ready to fight...but that's just my opinion," Callista told them. "In the end, it’s going to be his body that decides whether or not he's in it."

"How did he get out?" Arie asked no one in particular.

"He plotted a straight line between them and _New Hope_...and programmed the navcom to shut down the hyperdrive a microsecond after he activated it," Myk said as they turned away from the bacta tank. "It’s something even I wouldn't consider doing...."

And, he looked at Dilan and Ryneas, "What about _Blue Talon_?"

"She's out of the fight," Dilan told them, the emotion in his voice plain as day. "You saw all the outside damage... All the weapon systems are gone, sensors, navigation, the works. She can't even move...that explosion we saw when he came out of hyperspace was the I-field generators overloading."

Myk thought about it, knowing it was going to be a hard answer as he asked it. "How long?"

"Months...maybe even a few years," Dilan said as he and Ryneas started to walk out of the med bay.

"Hang on," Myk told them.

"I won't stand by and let what they've done to him go unanswered!" Dilan suddenly said as he turned around to face Myk, the look on Ryneas' face said the same as Dilan's.

"Really?" Myk arched an eyebrow at the furious young man. "And just what do you plan on doing, exactly? Taking out _White Squall_ and vaping what's left of the Sith fleet by yourself?"

"I will do what I can..." Dilan said quietly. There was an edge to his voice that Myk didn't like one bit.

"You will stand in that exact spot until I say otherwise," Myk snapped. There was no anger in the Rogue's tone, but there was plenty of ice. It was the same tone he used when a squad member was being insubordinate back when he was a Commander in the NR navy.

Dilan's eyes went wide, but the youth remained stock still. Ryneas looked as though he'd seen a ghost.

"This is a war, Kid," Myk said, his tone cool and calculating. "People follow orders or people die. If you took off and attacked the Sith, it would break this fragile truce and then you'd have a lot more than just Sith blood on your hands. I will not allow the actions of sons avenging their father - _who will recover, by the way_ \- to place the lives of thousands of good men and women in jeopardy. _Think_ , Dilan. Your Dad did everything he could to get back here in one piece, and he succeeded. Were he awake right now, do you think he'd want you running off on some suicidal mission of revenge? Do you think he'd want you risking your life and the lives of countless others to 'get even' with the enemy?"

There was a heavy silence in the room before Dilan looked at the floor. "No, sir," he ground out.

"Good," Myk let his tone lighten slightly. "I know how you feel, kid. I want to take it to them just as much as you do, but I know there are others whose lives would be in danger if I did. It's a tough decision, and I hate to have to force it on you like this, but war isn't pretty. Sometimes, we have to do one thing while we feel like doing another."

"I understand," Dilan replied, a bit more subdued.

"Stay with your father," Myk said as he headed for the door. "You can do him the most good by being near him, and letting him know you're there."

When he reached the doorway, he beckoned for Callista and Ter-Lon to follow. Arie had begun to head for their quarters.

 _I'll be there in a bit, love,_ Myk sent his wife.

 _Don't be too hard on them, Rogue,_ she sent back.

Myk-Ron Dinn led the two young people to a nearby office and closed the door.

"You wanted to see us, Grandfather?" Ter-Lon asked.

"Sit down, both of you," Myk said. His tone discouraging any form of protest. "I know about Ainar..."

"It _was_ a good bit of rescu-" Ter-Lon grinned.

"I'm not finished," Myk cut him off, the Rogue's voice chilling the room about ten degrees. "What the two of you did was both reckless and selfish. If either one of you even _thinks_ about doing something like that again, you can consider yourselves civilians and head straight home."

The shock on their faces was clearly evident.

Callista found her voice first. "I...I don't understand...Ainar was dying."

"Let me ask you something," Myk said. "How many people did you bring into the med bay while you were dirtside?"

"Well...none...but it was Ainar-" Callista began to say.

"So he holds priority over everyone else in this war?" Myk cut her off. "He gets rescued first because we know him personally, and he's our friend? In the time you two were gone, thirty pilots went Extra-Vehicular and _New Hope's_ shuttle couldn't pick them up because someone had commandeered it to pick up a friend."

He let those words hang in the air for a moment before continuing.

"Luckily, they were picked up by various freighters and shuttles from the other capital ships, but that's not the point. The point is that we can't play favorites. Just because you have an emotional attachment to someone does not mean that they gain priority over everyone else. The number of people that could have died because of what you did is astronomical, and I won't let it happen again."

"If I go down ten kilometers away from you, and I'm on my last breath. You had better take care of those closest to where you are before you even think about coming after me. If some stranger gets a blaster bolt to the gut and drops at your feet, you had better take care of him before you take off to go rescue a friend ten kilometers away," Myk sighed. "Ter-Lon, Red Squadron died while you were away."

Myk could feel the anguish roll off his grandson like a tidal wave.

"Kid, I'm not blaming you, and you shouldn't either. There's no way of knowing what would've happened had you been there with them. All I'm trying to say is that we can't, under any circumstances, play favorites. If we do, we're no better than the people we're fighting against. I don't like coming down on the two of you like this, but it’s part of my not playing favorites. If I let this slide because it’s you, how would that make everyone else feel? I only ask that you think before you act.

"Yes, Ainar was fading fast, but so were a LOT of other people, and they were a lot closer than he was to pick up," Myk could see the tears beginning to form in Callista's eyes, and a part of him wanted to take it all back...but it had to be said.

"Do you understand what I'm trying to tell the two of you?" The Rogue asked. Callista looked horrified but nodded silently. Ter-Lon was ashen-faced and deflated, but he managed to nod as well. "Good. Don't beat yourselves up about it. That's my job. Go get some grub and some rest, and talk about the old man and what a hard-case he is."

They both wore weak smiles as they headed down the hall and Myk-Ron shook his head _. Why did I agree to lead this crazy thing?_

He lit a cigarette and walked off in the direction of the room he and Arie shared. He needed some comfort himself...

* * *

"Got one to spare?"

Myk turned his head and saw Ainar standing in the hallway, his hand in a sling, face covered in bruises.

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Myk asked, handing Ainar a cigarette and lighting it for him.

Ainar took a drag and leaned against the wall. “You sound disappointed."

Myk shook his head and met his gaze. "No, that's not it...you _are_ family, though don't quote me on that, but what Ter-Lon and Callista did was reckless."

Ainar took another drag of the cigarette. "Of course it was...I remember the 'Conduit' himself doing reckless things now and then, and that act Steffan pulled with the suit...I'll call that reckless."

Myk only nodded and smoked his cig.

"Risk is a part of the game, and don't tell me if Arie had been in that fighter that you wouldn't have come after her," Ainar said, dropping the stub and putting it out with his boot.

"Perhaps, but she's my wife, my true love...it's different."

"No," Ainar said cutting him off, "I know you are Ter-Lon's grandfather, but I raised him...the bond between a Jedi and his Master is strong, you know that. And, now that Callista is family, you must understand why they did what they did, even though I agree with you. My life is not worth more than anyone's else."

Myk put out his cig and nodded, "I see your point. I'll see about taking that into consideration."

"You're a wise man, Myk," Ainar said grinning.

"Yeah, just don't tell anyone."

* * *

Arie felt the chewing Myk-Ron was giving her grandson and his friend through the Force and quickly slipped out of the Dinn quarters and down a side-hallway, stopping Callista and Ter-lon in the hallway, returning from Myk-Ron's briefing room.

"Don't let his bite sting...Trust me, it's all bark with him." Arie opened the quietness between the three.

"I thought what we did was right..." Ter-lon opened his mouth, the flare of argument still on the tip of his tongue.

"Your grandfather was right about what he said. Had you been under my command, you would both be sitting in the brig right now under Article 32 of the New Repub Code of Military Justice for disobeying direct orders of a superior officer....you are lucky this is not my military and you are not my soldiers..." Arie began.

"But Gran'ma-ma! It was Ainar...we had to go...couldn't just let him die!" Ter-lon argued.

"Sweetheart, I understand what you are saying. It is human nature to be reckless with those who will follow you, and quick to sacrifice others to save those you love...even your grandfather cannot argue with that one. But, a true leader understands the importance of impartiality in war. That’s what makes leading so difficult. You have to turn off what makes you human, turn off your attachments, and think logically. We all get it. And, nobody can say they would do differently in your position.”

Ter-lon nodded.

"But all the same, your actions must be better planned in the future if you are to continue to fight in this war...Your grandfather leads and so you must follow. Whether that be into hell and back." Arie said a little more firmly this time.

"Get some rest and do not chide your grandfather for his words...Tomorrow is another day..." Arie said, bidding them both good night as she slipped back to the Dinn quarters to meet up with her husband.

* * *

Myk entered the quarters to find them dark and silent.

 _Babe?_ he silently called out. A hand slipped around his waist from behind and he found Arie's body pressed against his rigid back, her breath warm on the back of his beck.

"I'm here love...." She whispered, moving around in front of him. He could see she was wearing a silver silk nightgown that hung from her shoulders by two thin straps, the flowing fabric gently gliding over her skin as she moved. He glanced past her shoulder to see a tray full of finger foods and a bottle of merlot - the sheets turned down on the bed.

"Now that is what I call a helluva way to greet a returning warrior." He smiled as she kissed him.

"What can I do to make you relax?" She asked coyly, pouring him a glass of wine.

He grinned as she led him onto the bed...

She had hand-fed him bits of sandwiches and fruit and they had finished the bottle of merlot...and climbed into bed after she had given him a full body massage....They were closer than they had ever been...his body and hers entwined between the sheets as they writhed in motion together....his hands slid along her legs, pulling him closer to her, moving her hips up on his....her lips grazed across the inner foldings of his ear as she breathed his name, planting kisses along his neck and upper chest....his hands moved across the short, silk nightgown she still wore, feeling her skin under his fingers...his other hand moving along the curls, becoming entangled in her long brunette hair that cascaded over his face that she ever-so playfully moved across his skin just to hear him inhale sharply from the tickle....his lips enveloped her breasts, gently flicking his tongue across them as she stayed saddled across his waist, his hips moving with her.....their eyes locked in a passionate kiss, their souls fully connected through the Force always....their love would burn forever.....

* * *

Wandering the corridors of _New Hope_ on their way back to her quarters, Callista looked sideways at Ter-lon. “I’m not tired in the least. Actually, I was thinking we might get in some practice before tomorrow.”

He nodded, not seeming particularly enthusiastic at the moment. “We could use the practice, especially considering we will be going dirtside.”

Nodding again, he added, “You should look in on the wounded first.”

She nodded back. “Good idea.” Turning the next corner, they continued towards the med bay. Callista walked in and immediately went in search of her assistant. Her assistant glanced up as Callista entered the office. “Good evening, Master. Here are charts on the recovered pilots for you to look over.” Accepting them, she glanced over them.

Many of the Jedi in the med bay had suffered broken bones and lacerations from the stress of going EV. A few had suffered from oxygen shortage, and had put themselves into healing trances as they waited for pickup. She closed her eyes briefly, breathing a silent apology to those Jedi she had left on her mad dash after Ainar.

Handing the charts back to her assistant, she bid her good night. Callista made a quick round of the med bay, looking in on each of the Jedi. Ter-lon kept pace at her side as she exited the med bay. She glanced at him as they walked. “Shall we go practice some?”

He gave her shrug and grinned. “Why not?”

“I’ll have to stop and get a passkey from Arie for Landing Bay 4, it's empty at the moment. We can lock it so we won’t be disturbed.”

He nodded and grinned at her. “You do realize what we may be interrupting if we head over there?”

She nodded and smiled crookedly. “Can’t be helped, I suppose…” Reaching Arie’s Flag quarters, Callista pressed the door comm. The door hissed open to reveal Arie standing there, wrapped only in a sheet.

Ter-lon’s eyes widened. “I knew it!”

Arie glared at him playfully, then glanced at Callista, handing her a keycard. “Here is the keycard for Bay 4. Now, go away before your grandfather wakes up.” She grinned and bid them good night. Grinning at each other, the young people proceeded down to Bay 4.

* * *

_"Ohhhhhhh......."_

The pained groan woke Dilan up, lifting his head up to see his father starting to stir on the bed.

"You really had us worried there," he said as he walked up to the side.

"I feel like someone's worked me over with a _de'haran_ ," Steffan muttered as he kept his eyes closed.

"Those four Star Destroyers," Dilan said as he picked up a glass of water for him. "Callista says you'll be able to come around soon."

"The sooner the better," Steffan told him as he started to sit up and accept the glass. "How long?"

"A few hours...you were unconscious when we pulled you out of the cockpit."

"How bad is she?" he asked Dilan.

"She's crippled..."

Steffan nodded as he started to work his sword arm then the left arm. "How long before this continues?"

"A few more hours," Dilan told him as he helped Steffan on his feet.

"Long enough to get my muscles worked up with some practice."

* * *

Callista keyed the entryway to Bay 4, the door sliding open. Ter-lon gave a slight bow, motioning for Callista to enter first and then he followed into the empty bay. His grandmother's Z-wing sat in the corner of the bay, strapped down to avoid rocking during hyper-jumps. Brink's T-wing, the Bomber sat adjacent to the Z-wing. He knew his grandmother and his great-uncle would never travel without their personal fighters aboard the cruiser.

“ _Can you believe my grandparents still...have intimate relations?”_ Ter-lon put it kindly in a hushed tone. He was still in shock of his grandmother answering the door wrapped in a bedsheet, half-hidden by the door frame, and his grandfather asleep, naked behind her on the bed.

“They may be mentally and spiritually older than us, but they are physically only a few years older than us. Of course, they still have relations! They love each other...” Callista told him softly, amused.

“I know they do…they are soulmates if there ever were such a thing...kindred spirits...I remember grandmother telling me when I was a boy about this coming war...the war when Sith would fight Jedi...She said the prophecy went like this: There would be two great forces of light that would overcome the one force of darkness...but should the light be separated, they would be forever dominated in darkness...I suppose that means my grandparents...the Phoenix and the Conduit....” Ter-lon said, growing serious.

“Forget about that for now. Your grandparents are together as we speak. Nothing could separate them. You are here now...” Callista replied.

“What did you have in mind?” Ter-lon quietly replied, his hands behind his back as he quietly surveyed the empty bay. He had been extremely quiet after getting his ass handed to him by his grandfather and it worried Callista.

“You alright, Ter-Lon?” she asked him, her eyebrows creasing with concentration and concern.

“Fine...” was his curt reply.

“No, you're not. You are quiet...and you, Jedi Dinn, are never _this_ quiet with me...”Callista told him, starting to take a step closer to her friend, but he stepped away and began to pace the bay floor, heavy in thought.

“I let him down. Grandmother too...and my master. I let them all down.” Ter-lon's words were slow and seemingly far away even though he only stood a few feet from Callista.

“No, you didn't. You came after Ainar and myself because you care for us. If it had been your father...” Callista began.

"My father lived up to the Dinn and Luxkert reputations! He died for my grandmother's beliefs, following her orders!" Ter-lon erupted, his voice echoing in the silent bay.

Callista was taken aback by the powerful voice that had come from her friend. She had never seen Ter-lon brooding like this...so dark...so quiet...his eyes so far away...

"You do know what happened to my mother, don't you? Calsa Dinn? She went insane after my father's death...she's in the Vista-Lopo psychiatric ward on Livda...my grandmother took me, but couldn't bear the sight of me because I reminded her of my father, Kevin. Master Ainar then took me and trained me and raised me...He is my father now....They all couldn't stand to have me near them because I reminded them of my father...and now, when I want them to see my father in me, I fail...." Ter-lon rambled on, still pacing the floor, his hands behind him as he walked, deep in thought.

"Your grandfather also doesn't know how your father was after the age of sixteen, Ter-lon...but your grandmother does...She is just afraid to lose you to her beliefs like she did your father." Callista tried to soothe his bruised ego.

Ter-lon looked up from his pace, a calm expression crossing his face, but his eyes still seemed far away as if lost in a thousand memories.

"My grandmother - General Arie Luxkert-Thrawn Dinn, the Head of New Republic Galactic Defense...former smuggler and Jedi Master...the only woman to graduate from an Imperial piloting academy... heroine of the Rebellion...the Phoenix. My grandfather - Captain Myk-Ron Dinn, Commander of the New Republic Silver Blades... the fallen hero of the Vong Wars...former smuggler and Jedi Master...the only man to become a Commander straight out of pilot training...the Conduit. My father - Kevin Myk-el Dinn commanding sergeant of his black ops Special Forces unit...246 successful missions....fallen hero of the Harlean Wars....and then there's me...Ter-lon Dinn, a Jedi Knight who is but a mere shadow of his namesake..." Ter-lon quietly said, as if in defeat.

He looked up to find a hand on his shoulder...it belonged to Callista.

"You are a Jedi Knight who is to be qualified for masterhood next year....you are a miraculous pilot like all of your family...you have the Phoenix in you....you express traits from all of your family...you are strong-willed and a sharp shot like your grandmother...you have her understanding of military tactics....you are a die-hard pilot like your grandfather...you have his roguish ways...and his temper. You look just like your father from the holos I've seen of him and certainly are level-headed like him from what I've heard...and as for your master, you take Ainar's calmness and quiet reflection, his level of Force ability has been instilled in you...." Callista continued, trying to lift Ter-lon's spirits.

"Well I certainly do not have my grandmother's ability to create Force-shields...you seem to, though," he replied.

"Arie said it was because of a rare genetic trait found only in a few Jedi..." Callista explained.

"Force knows I adore you...you always know what to say to cheer me up." He tried one of his grandfather’s trademark grins.

“Good,” Callista gave her friend a playful shove. “Enough of this moping about. It’s been ages since we sparred, and I’ve picked up quite a bit from Xan. Care to put your skill to the test?”

Ter-lon laughed. "You’re asking for it," He smiled broadly. “I’ve been watching holos of Grandpa and Master Karrde on repeat for months.” His blue blade ignited and he took a ready stance setting his saber on training mode so as not to hurt her.

"I see," she replied and followed suit, her purple blade flaring to life. Standing a few feet from him, Callista readied herself. Spreading her feet, she settled into a low inner guard position, with the tip of her blade near her right shoulder. She sank within herself, finding her center as she reached out to Ter-lon.

_Ready?_

He nodded.

Without warning, she charged. Ter-lon sensed her intent a moment before her saber would have touched his shoulder, and brought his saber up sideways, blocking her strike. Stepping back, she nodded. Good. Bringing her feet together, she suddenly jumped, somersaulting over him to land behind. Whirling around, he blocked a downward strike from her saber, rotating his wrists to toss her off balance. She flipped away from him, landing in a crouch ten feet away.

He grinned at her. “Surprised you, didn’t I?”

She chuckled. “Shall we?”

Nodding, he settled himself again. Still crouching on the deck, Callista flipped the grip of her saber so the pommel rested in her palm. The handle rode the inside of her forearm, with the blade pointed away from her. She saw Ter-lon tilt his head. “Where did you learn that?”

Grinning, she replied, “My Master on Corellia taught me that. It is part of Form IV, and, coincidentally how a Mando holds his knife.”

He nodded, smiling slightly. Setting himself, he looked down only for a moment. His head came back up and he started in surprise.

Callista had appeared in front of him, and he hadn’t even seen her move.

_How?_

_Form IV,_ she replied within his thoughts _._

_Whoa..._

While they were holding the conversation in their heads, she pressed her advantage. Moving inside his defense, she knocked the saber from his hand. As it flew across the bay, it suddenly reversed direction, as Ter-lon called it back to his hand. It slapped into his palm, ignited again. Blocking her strike, he forced her blade wide, hoping to throw her off-balance.

She whirled away, and set herself again. He grinned. “You are good.”

Nodding, she suddenly charged across the deck toward him. They joined in the middle of the bay, their blades crashing against one another. Sparks flew as her blade rode his to the hilt. Locked together, they struggled for the upper hand.

Drawing on the Force, Callista nudged him gently. He stumbled away, arms windmilling as he fought for balance. “What was that?”

Grinning, Callista said, “That was a little something your grandmother taught me. It has been quite useful on occasion.”

Ter-lon grinned back, “Well, it certainly works!”

Powering down their sabers, they bowed to each other. Callista came up to him and leaned on him for a moment to catch her breath. “I haven’t had that much of a workout for a while.” She hugged him then. “I'll be around if you want to talk later, ok? I should go find Xan and head to bed though...”

“Any time you want a rematch, you know where to find me,” Ter-lon threw a lazy salute. “I’ve still got some aggression to work out. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

* * *

Steffan picked the open space of the observation deck, the stars and the large view of Msst surrounded him.

For a long time, he just knelt there in the middle of the floor, working the stiffness out of the wrist that had been broken, slowly opening himself up to the Force again. He meditated for a time, working the soreness from the piloting that he had pulled to escape the Sith fleet.

He'd already been to the hangar deck and had seen the true extent of the damage to _Blue Talon_ , but it didn't occupy his mind or nearly concern him as much as he thought it might have.

"It seems so strange, but I'm not worried about, nor should I be," he told Jade over the comm. "All of us wanted nothing more than to be rid of these things. That's why we worked so hard not to make them so powerful enough to be a weapon."

 _"Well...you needed it for this,"_ Jade said to him softly. "So it’s just as well you've kept it this long. _What will you do with it now?"_

"Just keep the remains in the hangar," Steffan said. "I can't think of a safer place. So...how's Andrea doing?"

_"Worried about you, just as I was when we got Dilan's message. Other than that, she's learning what it’s like to be a mother-in-waiting."_

Steffan smiled softly. "Well, she's has someone to talk to about all of it. Any news of what it'll be yet."

 _"Not yet,"_ Jade told him. _"She wouldn't mind a daughter, but she knows a son would be just as special...and it’s something she believes both grandfathers are wanting."_

He had a good laugh over the comment. "Whatever the Force wills for this child to be, I welcome it."

* * *

Xan had met her outside the bay and held her to him as they walked back to their quarters. Her heart was still racing from the exertion of saber practice. The ship slumbered around them, preparing for battle the following morning. Their dark quarters beckoned to the tired couple as they entered.

Callista slumped down onto the edge of their bed, removing her outer tunic. Shedding his armor one plate at a time, leaving only his coverall, Xan sank down beside her. “Come to bed, _cyar'ika_?” She nodded. They slid into bed, Callista wrapping her arms around Xan as she fell asleep.

He lay awake for a long time, gazing at his sleeping wife. _She is so beautiful,_ he mused to himself. He knew how her heart ached after what had happened earlier that day. She was such a caring person, and he hated to see her so distraught. The Corellian may have been a little too rough on her, even if he was right.


	13. Chapter 13

Ainar walked into the observation deck and saw Steffan there meditating. He was recovering from the accident nicely, better than Ainar. He walked over to his friend and knelt next to him. Neither of them said a word, Ainar closed his eyes and began meditating, trying to speed up the healing process.

Callista had been keeping an eye on him for the past few hours, he had told her he was doing okay...but it hurt, too much.

If he would tell her the truth she would confine him to the medbay.

He drew on the Force and used whatever healing techniques Arie had taught him over the years to heal his lungs and ribs. Focusing on major wounds. He was going to be in the final battle.

"You sure you're going to be up for this?" he heard as he opened his eyes and saw Steffan looking at him now.

"You took a good beating in that crash," the Cataani told him. "Are you sure you're going to be able to handle this fight that's coming in a few hours?"

"I'll have you there with me," Ainar told him with a smile. "We've always fought side by side. This'll be no exception."

"Of course," Steffan said as he nodded to the idea. "Let this be the time when we draw sabers together once more."

* * *

_The universe swirled in his mind's eye. Billions upon billions of stars, all of them just pinpricks in the blanket of space, winked in and out of existence as eons passed like seconds._

_This war. This battle that threatened his friends, his family...it was a whisper on a gale. It was a grain of sand in a Tatooine desert. It was as insignificant and unimportant as the flitnat caught in an arachnid's web on Dagobah..._

_To the Force, none of it mattered._

This war would take place because it had to. The balance was being threatened as it always was. Sentient beings lust for power, and they always will. Even those attuned to the Force fall prey to what is inside of themselves. They try to bend the Force to their will, and if the Force could be personified in any way, one could say it doesn't like that.

The Force is chaos. For every life created, another is destroyed with no apparent connection. A speeder crashes, a child is born...random acts, unconnected but by the Force.

Myk saw the Force. It swirled with the galaxy and encompassed everything. Life creates it, and from it, life is created. There is no one side to it. No light, no dark.

Yet it can be disturbed.

In his mind, he saw Msst and the stars around it as a great cancer in the Force.

The Jedi and their hopeless devotion to the Light had grown strong over the years. They placed their beliefs on the Force and, through them, a "light side" was created. They did not accept the Force for what it was truly, but they used their "light side" constantly. It caused a strain on the way things are supposed to work, and, now that they were strong, it was enough to disturb the natural chaos of the Force.

The Sith were the same, with the exception of their "dark side." They grew strong because the Jedi were strong. For the chaos to be restored, they had to be. Both "sides" needed to be thinned out...or eradicated altogether.

In his musings, Myk wondered if the Force would have been better off without sentient beings knowing it existed, but such thoughts would gain him nothing.

Closer, he sensed two distinct presences in the ripples of the Force. Unlike the Jedi, who were like rocks in a river, disrupting the natural flow, these two were part of the stream, and he'd have completely missed them if he hadn't known who they were.

Slowly, he began to withdraw back into himself. The Chaos was beautiful, and it soothed his troubled mind to an extent. But, Myk-Ron Dinn knew he would never truly be content. Even he could never truly live in the chaos of the Force. He was closer than most to understanding its nature, but understanding and actually abiding by it were two very different things. He was neither light nor dark, but he fought with the Jedi regardless. Not because he liked them better than the Sith, but because his friends fought for them.

Myk-Ron could honestly care less, the outcome of the war as long as his friends survived and were happy. He would protect them all at any cost.

"Ya know, you're really slipping," Myk heard Nik-Yar say. "Keep it up, and you'll be completely respectable."

Myk lit a cigarette and stood from where he knelt in the unused shuttle hangar aboard _New Hope_. "You're dreaming, space cadet," The Rogue smiled as he turned to see both Nik and Vince sitting on a stack of cargo crates. "The day I turn respectable is the day one of you two settles down."

"Never going to happen," Vince replied as he produced a bottle of Corellian Whiskey from his long black trenchcoat.

"Exactly," Myk grinned, taking a seat on one of the crates facing the two.

Nik reached out in the Force and pulled a crate to the middle of their circle. He reached in a pocket of his flight jacket and pulled out a deck of sabacc cards, and a box of cigarras. "So, what the _krif_ are you doing anyway, Myk?" He asked as he shuffled. "Commander of a fighter squad I can see. You always were a fighter jock at heart. But, leading a bunch of goody-goody Jedi in a holy crusade against the Sith? What the hell happened to you?"

"Nik," Myk sighed as Vince poured him a tumbler of Whisky. "You know me fairly well-"

"Better than I'd like to..." Nik cut in.

"Yeah," Myk agreed. "So you know the answer to that question."

Nik looked at Vince and both of them nodded.

"We've tried to tell you I don't know how many times," Vince said as Nik started to deal. "You can't protect your friends from everything. You were lost for forty-some-odd years because you were trying to protect them...now, this?"

"I mean c'mon, buddy," Nik said as he finished dealing and lit up one of his cigarras. "You keep this up and you're going to get yourself killed."

"Why the hell are you two here?" Myk asked as he looked at his hand. He threw two away.

"We're here because we enjoy a good fight," Nik shrugged. He dealt Vince one card, Myk his two, and took two for himself.

"And because we saw what happened to Arie when you were gone," Vince admitted. "Heh, negative twenty-two"

"Pure Sabacc," Myk laid his cards down. "I've been working on that..."

"And because we saw what happened to everyone else, also," Nik said. "Idiot's Array."

Vince scooped the cards up and shuffled.

"What do you mean by that?" Myk asked.

“A lot changed after you left," Vince said as he dealt. "Nik and I almost went into retirement-"

"You're kidding," Myk looked aghast. He looked at his cards and frowned. He threw two away.

"You've got this presence about you," Nik shrugged. He kept his cards. "I don't want to boost your already inflated ego, but losing you hurt damn near everybody you were around. Friends or no. Hell, we even saw Corran Horn at your funeral."

"I think I saw him once," Myk arched an eyebrow. "And that was in passing at Starfighter Command." He tossed his cards on the table. "Ugh. Seventeen."

"Precisely our point," Vince said.

Nik shook his head in defeat and laid down his cards. "Beats my fifteen. Yeah, he heard about you from Wedge. He barely knew you and yet he showed up to pay his respects."

"Basically," Vince said grinning. "Things went straight in the proverbial bucket of Hutt drool when you left for that mission and didn't come back. We're of a mind to not see that happen again." He laid down his cards. "Twenty-two."

"You're not dealing again," Myk said as he scooped up the cards and began shuffling. "So what are you guys saying? I should stop trying to protect the people I care about?"

"Nothing of the sort," Vince replied as Myk dealt.

"We're saying you should let the people you care about take more care of themselves," Nik said as he looked at his cards. "They're not completely helpless, you know. Believe it or not, they can survive without you saving them all the time. I'll take one card."

"I can't back out of this thing, guys," Myk sighed. He gave Nik his card, Vince two, and he took one for himself.

"We're not asking you to," Vince said.

"We're just trying to get you to see what we're seeing," Nik agreed. "And when this thing is over, maybe you'll realize we're right and start relaxing." He laid down his cards. "Twenty."

" _Shassa_ ," Vince hissed as he tossed his cards in. "Nineteen." He looked at Myk. "We're with you now to make sure you make it through this thing in one piece. Afterwards, we go back to what we do best, and I suggest you think about the same."

"Going back to smuggling?" Myk asked as he too laid down his cards. "Twenty-two."

"It beats the alternative," Nik replied as he gathered the cards and shuffled.

"That being?" Myk gave the rim-rat a trademark grin.

"We strap you to an easy chair and force you to watch old senate hearings till you do," Vince gave the Rogue a predatory smile.

Myk looked at his hand. The Ace of staves, a two of staves, and a Commander of Staves. Pure Sabacc on the deal. "It’s hard hearing my own advice bounced back at me," The Rogue conceded. “I was telling Arie something very similar, and I think you two are right.”

"Of course we are," Nik exclaimed. "Listen to this guy. You'd think he was a Tatooine moisture farmer." He threw away two cards, gave Vince one, Myk shook his head, and then he dealt himself two.

"What do you think the odds of us all surviving this are?" Myk asked.

"As long as the odds of you beating my hand," Vince replied as he laid down the Ace of flasks, the Commander of flasks, and a two of flasks. Pure Sabacc.

Myk laid down his cards. "What does it mean when I tie?" The Rogue asked.

"Better question," Nik said as he laid down the Ace of coins, Commander of coins, and the two of coins. "What are the odds of this happening?"

The three looked at each other and then looked at the cards before Myk shrugged and lit another cigarette. "Doesn't matter," He said. "I never much cared for odds, and I plan on beating them today, anyway."

They left the cards where they were and headed for the briefing room aboard _New Hope._ They were having a meeting before they all headed dirtside for the final confrontation. _Yeah, I could be a smuggler again,_ The Rogue smiled as he walked down the halls of the cruiser.

* * *

She stood with Steffan beside her, trying her best to appear as she once had years before- a Jedi Master.

She wore a black fitted-rayon jumpsuit with a tan over vest that reached down to her ankles, her belt around her waist had her lightsaber and her blaster...her black smuggling boots that came up to just below her knees sheathed her tikki blade on the left boot. Her Coshackian medallion hung around her neck, proudly displayed above her clothes, instead of hidden beneath them.

_She was letting go._

"Easy now, bring it around smoothly, and not too fast," Arie's soft voice instructed. “Remember, slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Get the technique, and the speed will come.”

Ter-lon, Callista, and several other younger, less-trained Jedi were in the empty landing bay aboard _New Hope_ practicing lightsaber techniques.

"Ter-lon, you’re white-knuckling the hilt, relax. Loosen your grip on the blade. Widen your stance a bit," Steffan instructed the young man. Ter-lon complied and saw an approving nod come from his grandmother.

"The sole purpose of perfect lightsaber technique is not to see how quickly or heavily you can bring your blade down upon your opponent, but rather, how smooth and flowing your motions are...how in tune with the Force you are. Concentrate not on your enemy, not on hate or anger, not on fellow Jedi, not on joy or happiness, but on the Force itself. Once you let yourself be immersed within it, your actions will flow and your timing will be perfect," Arie explained, using her hand to move Callista's hips more in line with her center.

She also adjusted Ter-lon's shoulders once more as she and Steffan perused among the young Jedi practicing with their sabers, correcting saber technique and stance, as well as footwork.

"They are not ready, brother," Arie whispered to Steffan.

"I don't believe they will ever be ready, though, my dear. They did not grow up in the generations we did, with fear and loathing..." Steffan replied calmly.

"...with Sith hunting us to extinction..." Arie quietly remembered the day Darth Vader's troops had attacked and destroyed the Jedi Temple on Coruscant when she had been but 9 years old...

She bid Steffan goodbye as she departed the makeshift training room and headed up to the bridge of the ship where older Jedi were quietly and calmly handling the controls of New Hope. She laid her hands on the bridge railing, overlooking the vast forward viewport of the cruiser, her fingers trailing against the intricate woodworking of the railing as she gazed at the stars and the bright horizon of Msst below their orbit.

Warm hands ran around her waist and over her now more-slightly bulging belly and warm lips touched her neck.

"I wish it didn't have to be like this," She whispered to her husband as Myk-Ron continued to hold her from behind, also looking at the stars before them.

"You know, you don’t have to lie to me,” he replied, kissing her neck again. “Your more upset that you won’t be down in the dirt with me.”

Arie rolled her eyes at the Rogue. "I've sent word to Major Maxell and President Donnach that my resignation will be forwarded to them upon my return to Coruscant," she said, still gazing at the stars.

Myk-Ron was silent for a moment. He had waited to hear those words for over a year, pleading with his wife, fighting with her, trying to convince her to retire from the stressful position as the New Republic's Head of Galactic Defense...but he knew it would be hard for her to release control to someone else, someone less than.

She had molded her life to the military and gave her all for the Republic...she had shaped the military and the Senate for the better, had protected millions of lives. And, yet, despite his misgivings, Myk felt quiet peace from his wife.

"Is this what you want? You aren't retiring because I want you to?" he asked her quietly, his arms still around her.

"I've been speaking with Nik and Vince...I asked them to come out here, not because of this war, but to speak with you...I suppose they've told you all the 'business' I've given them to aid the Republic..." Arie said.

"Yeah, they were sure to let me know how much money they’d gotten out of my wife since I’d been gone," Myk-Ron stifled a small laugh.

"Never mind that now. They came because I wanted them to speak to you. They knew of my plans to retire months ago, but I wasn't ready to tell you," Arie started.

"I trust they told you my thoughts as to you rejoining the Navy in a squadron command position?" she asked. “Even though I asked them not to.”

"They'd mentioned it. Babe, I was only going to re-enlist because you wouldn't retire...it was the only way I could be close to you on Coruscant,” He said. “Plus you know I’m good at it. That said, Nik and Vince have offered a quite fetching deal...return to smuggling."

"I know. Brink has retired from the Navy and so has Nib. She gave me her resignation before we were attacked...They returned to their home on Livda...I‘d love for us to go back to our home on Coruscant. It’s been so long since it’s really felt like home, and I want to feel that again." Arie said, turning around to face her husband.

"If you want to go home, then home is where we'll go after all this is over," Myk-Ron agreed, smiling at his wife as he stroked her hair out of her face as she smiled up at him.

"I love you so much!" Arie gleefully replied, throwing her arms around her husband's neck. She was truly happy. She kissed him a thousand times on the cheek, lips, and forehead before pulling back.

"Ok ok ok, not in front of the troops!" Myk-Ron joked, as his wife pulled back from her kissing assault. Her smile faded and Myk-Ron wondered why.

"I want all of us to go to home..." Arie said, laying her husband's hand on her stomach so he could feel his unborn daughter kick.

Myk-Ron knew what she meant. She wasn't talking about Ter-lon or Callista. That was a given, just as Steffan would return to Cataan to his family, and Ainar would float somewhere between Livda and the Jedi Academy on Chandrilla. Arie was talking about him. She couldn’t lose him again in another war where she wasn’t able to be by his side.

"I'll come back to you," He promised quietly, and then kissed her again before preparing the Jedi to board the transports that would land on Msst....

* * *

Standing next to Ter-lon in the cavernous bay, Callista sank into herself and the Force as she practiced. She knew that they would never be fully prepared for what lay ahead, but that couldn't be helped. This was war; you went into battle whether you were prepared or not.

Calm radiated off her as she moved slowly through the kata under the watchful eyes of Steffan and Arie. Ter-lon on the other hand was nervous. He had never fought hand-to-hand on such a large scale. _How can you be so calm, seeing the forces arrayed against us?_ he sent to her, mentally.

 _I have known all my life that this day would come, a day where the Force sought to balance itself._ She replied. _The Force has no sides, we give it boundaries which it is not meant to possess. Our growing power caused the Sith to increase in power. A confrontation was bound to occur in this type of situation._

She could feel his amusement as he sent _You're starting to sound like my grandfather..._

She chuckled in her head. _That isn't such a bad thing, is it?_ He grinned and shook his head silently, focusing on the kata once again.

* * *

"This will be a lot less formal than our previous briefings," Myk began. Everyone was arranged around a large circular table. Nik and Vince were to Myk's left. Arie sat to his right. The leaders of all the representative groups were arranged loosely around the rest of the table.

Myk wore a warm-weather combat suit. Durasteel and cortosis ore were forged into plates that were then sewn into the flexible and durable skin-tight suit. The plates were positioned to cover vital areas of the anatomy. Over the suit, he wore his black boots, gun belt, and freighter's vest. Most of the Jedi wore about the same with the exception of a Jedi cloak here and there. Va'yle and her entourage looked positively vicious in their tribal war gear.

There were nods around the table and Myk went on with his little speech. "In a little over an hour, we will touch down on the world of Msst. The LZ has been loaded into all of our transports navicomps. We'll be putting down on the far side of the Crystal Mists south of the only speck of civilization on the planet. The Crystal Mists are, as the name suggests, a giant bog that covers a good-sized portion of the planet. They've always been viewed in a sort of quasi-mystical light by anyone who's ever been brave enough to live there. In ancient times, Msst was a Sith-held world, and the Sith of Msst would go into the Crystal Mists in search of the treasures hidden in the fog...lightsaber crystals."

Myk let his words hang in the air for a moment before plunging on with the history lesson. "It's a phenomenon that has had scientists and scholars stumped for millennia," he said. "Somehow the crystals form amid the mist and shine through the fog like stars through a cloud. It can be very misleading, and many is the tale of brave souls that enter the Mists and never return."

As he spoke, a hologram came to life in the center of the table showing a map of the area Myk had described. "The Sith will be marching from the scientific outpost due north of the Mists," A red circle appeared on the map above the outpost. "The LZ is marked in blue to the south. We'll be meeting them at the very heart of the Crystal Mists. Their leader has proven a cunning warrior, but anyone can see that this is no play on strategy. We meet in the Crystal Mists, on a battlefield far from any civilization like the Jedi and Sith of old. It's fairly straightforward. We march into the Mists, the 'leaders' of each side meet in the middle to discuss terms of engagement, and then we charge."

The holomap faded into nothingness and Myk glanced around the room at the calm faces. "There is no game plan for this kind of thing," The Rogue sighed. "We meet, we fight. I called this briefing so that we may choose the three that will meet with the Sith's leaders before the battle."

"Well, you're one of them, nerf-herder," Nik said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I believe Matriach Va'yle should be the second," Steffan spoke up. "We should try to have someone representing each of the groups that make up our little army out there."

"Agreed," Myk nodded. "If no one has any objection, I'd like to have Steffan as a third, representing the Jedi."

There were nods of agreement around the table, and Myk flashed the Cataani a scoundrel's smile. Steffan rolled his eyes, and Myk could see his shoulders rise in a sigh.

"Then it's settled," The Rogue said as he slid datacards across the table to everyone. "On those cards are the arrangements of everyone's landing areas, and a general layout for the marching order. If there is nothing else, this briefing is adjourned. We leave in twenty minutes."

There were no amendments, and everyone began to file out of the room.

...Everyone with the exception of Nik, Vince, Brink, and Arie. The four moved to surround Myk as he stood to head for his transport.

"What's this?" He asked as he caught the stern looks on their faces.

"This," Vince replied as he leaned back on the table, "is some friendly intervention."

"We're here to tell you a few things," Nik added. "One of them being that you will survive this war."

"We need you to come back," Arie said, her voice pleading.

"I know that-" The Rogue started.

"No," Brink cut him off. "We know you, Myk. Probably better than you do."

"For one," Vince spoke up. "You're Corellian. No point in denying it. You hold no stake in the odds."

"Which are usually stacked against you," Nik added. "Two, despite being a pirate and a rogue, you're a hero at heart. You really want to save the galaxy whether you'll admit it or not."

"Three," Arie said as she laid a hand on his arm. "You love your friends and family more than anything else. We know you'd walk into an incinerator if you thought it would save us some pain, but what you have to realize is that we'd rather suffer a bit and have you alive then live the rest of our lives without pain and not have you around."

"So what are you saying?" Myk asked, slightly exasperated. "You want me to pull out of this thing?"

"Nothing of the sort," Vincent answered. "We know we couldn't keep you from fighting."

"But we can keep you alive," Nik said as he twirled the hilt of his blade in his hand. "Arie and Brink will be waiting for you in the _Bird_ at the edge of the system. Vince and I will be going with you dirtside. We're gonna be your shadows."

"Wherever you go, we will be there," Vince nodded. "And should the battle turn for the worst, we will make sure you make it out alive."

"I don't know what to say," Myk looked at his friends.

"You don't have to say a thing, Rogue," Arie smiled. "They'd follow you to Hell and back, dragging you kicking and screaming."

The Rogue sighed. "It's not going to be pretty."

Nik and Vince laughed. "Just the way we like it," Nik answered for the both of them.

Myk-Ron flashed them all a scoundrel's smile before saying, "I wouldn't have it any other way. But, if you guys would allow it, I've got ten minutes before I have to board that transport. I'd like to spend them with my wife."

"Sure thing, nerfherder," Nik said as he and Vince went for the door.

"Arie, the _Bird_ will be ready and waiting," Brink added as he followed them out.

The door slid shut behind them and Myk turned to Arie. "Ya know," He said. "In days of old, it was custom for the lady to give her knight a favor before he headed off into battle. A scarf, a necklace...some kind of trinket so he would have her protection and luck when he went off to war."

"Really?" Arie arched an eyebrow as Myk pulled her into his arms. "When did you become such an expert on archaic tradition?"

"I did some research on the holonet last night," The Rogue shrugged. "But I'd settle for a good luck kiss."

"I'll give you one better." Arie quietly said, removing the Coshackian medallion from around her neck. Myk-Ron watched as the medallion gently split into two separate half-circle pieces that fit together to form the entire circular medallion Arie had always worn.

Myk-Ron had never seen her remove it from around her neck, not even in the 'fresher. It was something that stayed with her always...something she cherished and loved more than anything because her father had given it to her that last time she had seen him alive...

"This half is Coshackian for "Honor the Warrior". It will bring you luck and protect you." Arie said, running a ratcord through the warrior half of the medallion and hanging it gently around her husband's neck.

"What does your half say?" He asked, admiring the half-piece.

"Healer of the Sick and Wounded," Arie replied.

"They certainly are you." Myk-Ron said.

"This medallion means more than a breath of air to me...." Arie began, but Myk-Ron cut her off.

"Don't worry, I'll bring it back to you in one piece," He grinned at her as she kissed him deeper than he had ever known...

"Grandfather." came Ter-lon's voice, interrupting the kiss.

Myk-Ron looked over to see Ter-lon wearing black leather pants and a dark brown tunic that was bloused at his waist with a tan belt sash. The lightsaber Arie had given him swung on his belt. His black leather boots were laced to just below his knees and he had a small black bandana tied around his forehead, his short-cropped dark brown hair poked out above.

Myk-Ron's glare told the kid all he need to know about interrupting a kiss. Mainly, don’t.

"The transport is waiting," Ter-lon said, sheepishly, before ducking back out.

Myk turned back to Arie, and held her tightly before kissing her forehead and following Ter-lon.

* * *

Steffan finished the infinity arc as he came around to end the kata he had started going through. There were many things on his mind, but what surprised him was that the coming battle was not one of them.

He thought of the path he had strived to walk. _Things had never been easy....easy would not have been the Jedi way_ , something Corran Horn had told him once.

He had more to think about now. Events had left many of his fellows dead, most that had left students behind. They would need guidance now, and he believed it was time for them to study a new way of thinking about the Way.

It seemed like ages since he had began this new studying of his. Reading the writings of Jacen Solo and the texts of his fathers and even more ancient writings of his people. Even his ancestor, Johian Karrde, had taken on a way of thinking of the Force was similar to what Steffan was currently becoming to believe. That there was no "light" nor "dark" to the Force itself....it was only in the hearts and minds of the people who studied it.

And it was in a moment of reflection that he knew things would need to change. Not a complete change, no....but one that could only take time. And he had already planned the first steps.

There were many students left on Cataan. Near Edmonton was the ancient, yet empty, monastery of Mt. Adan. It was perfect for Steffan to teach this new way of thinking to future generations, as he had started to do with his own children.

 _And yet...._ that was another matter on his mind.

He would soon be a grandfather along with finishing Ryneas' teachings. The time had finally come where he couldn't go throughout the galaxy to ensure a peaceful future. It was time for him to pass on what he had learned and entrust the role that he'd taken as a Guardian for so long to the next generation. Dilan...Ter-lon, Xan and Callista...Ryneas...and so many more young Jedi.

"Steffan?"

He turned around to see Arie there in the doorway, looking at him. "Are you alright?"

"Yes...just thinking of many things," he told her as he walked up. "Arie...have I ever told you how much you've actually meant to this family?"

"No," She said as she closed the distance, concern showing now. "Steffan, what's wrong?"

"Just an old warrior contemplating what he's to do after all of this."

"You're not _that_ old," she joked.

"Compared to you, no," he said with a laugh. "But with what Myk did with you...you'll be around probably longer than I will be."

"Now hush," she said to him as she hugged him. "You're gonna make it through all of this."

"You know me, my sister," he told her with a grin. "I always enjoy a good fight. But after this...I can't go all over anymore."

"I understand," she said softly as they started to leave. "Come on, we've got a new fight to win."

* * *

Steffan began to whisper prayers in his native language as he finished putting on his outer kimono after placing fresh bandages on what wounds needed them. He picked his belt with only his lightsaber attached and put it around his waist, securing the buckle.

_"Father, watch over my family with a ready sword. Mother, whisper to them that I long to return to them._

_Guide my hand this day, for I have lived my best with the honor and dignity that you taught me. Give me the strength to protect those I hold dear and to defeat those who would destroy everything I love."_

He threw a sleeveless robe over him and left the hood down as he also drew up the sleeves of his kimono to free his hands for the fight to come.

_"Dear Lady, if I should fall in battle, let it be with honor. Ease the passing of those who will fall this day, and be with their loved ones to comfort them."_

He sighed as he finished the lines a warrior would recite on the eve of battle, closing his eyes and letting the Force flow through him before he left his quarters and went down to the hanger deck.

 _'Let my conscious be clear',_ he thought to himself as he walked up the boarding ramp. Dilan and Ryneas were already there and ready to leave with him. _And so the end begins._

* * *

Subconsciously, Myk-Ron felt for the medallion against his chest. The cool metal felt good against his skin, and the nagging thoughts in the back of his mind slowly faded into calm. “What’s our ETA?” Myk asked the Jedi piloting the transport he rode at the head of the dropships.

“Five minutes, Sir,” The pilot replied.

“And the others?”

“ _Mynoch_ and _Dream_ will touch down a minute after we do, followed by the other four a minute after them.”

“Good,” Myk nodded as he took a seat just aft of the cockpit and strapped in. He never really trusted anyone else's flying.

The “Command Staff” were in the forward hold of the ship. Matriach Va’yle, Steffan, and Myk were in the forward seats with Nik and Vince not far behind. Those two had really taken to the role of Myk-Ron’s personal bodyguards. The Rogue flashed them all a trademark smile. “Loosen up guys,” He said. “You all look like you’re about to face the biggest challenge of your lives.”

“Um, Myk,” Steffan answered. “We are.”

“Oh yeah,” Myk feigned ignorance. “I forgot.”

“We are so dead,” Nik sighed. The others smiled...the laughter would come later.

* * *

“Milord,” The sensor specialist called. “We have seven dropships vectoring for a point two clicks south of our position, in a portion of the Crystal Mists.”

“Good,” the Master grinned a wicked grin. He wore black armor, somewhat reminiscent of stormtrooper armor without the helmet. It was painted matte black and cortosis ore was woven into the plates. Around his shoulders was a deep black cloak, and the hood cast his face in shadow. “How very punctual of the Conduit. What is their ETA?”

“Two minutes until all of their ships are on the ground, milord.”

“Issue the orders, Soldier,” the Master nodded as he strode out of the small building. “I go to lead our forces on the last march of the Sith.”

“As you will it, milord.”

His subordinate’s voice had been full of zeal and pride, and the Master allowed his grin to broaden as he made his way to the head of the Sith formation. “All units!” He called. “March!”

With a brilliant war cry, his army began to move into the Crystal Mists.

* * *

They had just gotten into formation. Myk-Ron Dinn, Matriarch Va’yle, and Steffan Karrde took the lead of the small army of Jedi with Nik and Vince close behind. There was a sound like distant thunder, and Myk knew the Sith army was marching towards them already.

“All units!” The Rogue cried. “March!”

Silently, the Jedi trudged through the mists until they reached a clearing in the bog that was all flat, dry land. The formation came to a halt at Myk’s command. The fog rolled in at waist height, and Myk could no longer see his feet. The view ahead was clear however, and the view around also. He could sense mistmakers hovering at the edge of the clearing. _Never seen this many warm bodies in one place_ , Myk thought. _They won’t venture anywhere near us_.

He turned his attention back to the front, and emotion ran through him that he was all too unfamiliar with. Fear. Breaking through the line of trees on the other end of the field were thousands upon thousands of Sith, most clad in black, and at the front of this army marched three men. The first, the center, the Master moved with a confidence Myk wished he was feeling. Flanking him on either side were warriors who stood a good head taller than their master. They wore the armor of the Emperor’s old Royal Guard, but it was dyed black and did not shine in the little light coming through the perpetual mist.

The Sith army came to a precise halt on the other side of the field, merely three hundred meters away. The trio in front continued walking towards the center of the field. Myk reached down into the Force and began to let it flow through him. He couldn’t lose himself completely just yet, but he slowly began letting himself fall. He touched the medallion around his neck and smiled. _Yes, it would be a fight...but it was one he was going to win._

The Rogue nodded to Steffan and Va’yle, and the three walked out to meet their enemy.

As Myk-Ron fell deeper and deeper into the Force, he began to get a sense of the force arrayed against him. There was something there that seemed incredibly familiar, and yet distorted somehow. It was like a figure but viewed through translucent glass. _A form in his mind’s eye that just wouldn’t focus..._

And, they were there.

“I’m glad to see the Jedi have honor,” The Master spoke first and the voice that came from beneath the hood sent ice coursing through Myk’s veins. In an instant, he knew who stood before him, and in that same instant, he desperately hoped he was wrong. _He’s dead,_ Myk thought. _I killed him...with the blaster at my side right now, I shot a hole through his chest..._

“Yes we have,” Steffan replied, covering his friend’s sudden inability to speak. “But you do not only face Jedi in this battle. Know that others have joined our ranks, all of them Force users, and all of them opposed to you and your kind.”

“Yes, yes,” The Master waved a hand idly. “We knew the witches and the Jensaari had joined your little fleet, and we welcome the added numbers on your side. We are here to discuss terms, and I would hear yours.”

The Matriarch spoke first. “We have med tents arranged at our landing site,” She said. “You will not attack them, and we will not attack your medical facilities.”

“I can agree with that,” the Master nodded. “Was there anything else?”

“Our families will be left alone,” Steffan said evenly. “Whatever the outcome of this war, civilians, and noncombatants shall be left entirely alone. Show us that you have honor by agreeing to this.”

“Honestly,” the Master replied. “You Jedi are so melodramatic. Of course, we won’t go after your families, and we expect the same from you. If you’re done telling me what I already know, perhaps you could give me some real terms so I can rejoin my army and we can begin this battle.”

 _The wit...the sarcasm...the tone..._ Steffan looked at Myk and then looked at the Master. _The build...the height...the stance._

“Here are my terms, you twisted wretch,” Myk-Ron Dinn finally spoke. “You go back to your army and you lead their charge. I will meet you in the middle and finish what I started all those years ago!”

The Master laughed, but there was no warmth to the gesture. He pulled back his hood, and both Steffan and Va’yle gasped. Before them stood Myyk-Ron Dinn, a clone of the man who stood with them. “You and I are made of the same stuff,” Myyk-Ron locked eyes with Myk. “You should have known it would take more than a blaster to destroy me.”

“A mistake I won’t be repeating,” The Rogue said as lighting began to flash in his eyes. He turned on his heel and strode back to the Jedi army, all the while falling deeper into the Force. Steffan and Va’yle were at his sides in a moment.

“Myk?” Steffan asked.

“Leave him to me,” The Rogue answered without looking. “Stay clear, and keep our friends alive.”

Steffan began to protest, but they were at the front of their formation again, and Myk called out above the crowd. “The Will of the Force!” The Rogue ignited his silver blade and faced the enemy. Nik and Vince fell into positions at his sides. Nik’s gold blade hummed to life followed by Vince’s crimson. Myk’s battle cry echoed through the ranks and the energy in the air was thicker than the mist of this forsaken planet.

Steffan could feel the hair stand up on his arms and he glanced at Myk-Ron Dinn. Energy visibly coursed in and around the Rogue, blue lightning tracing his entire body...and in a flash as quick as lightning strikes, _the Conduit charged..._

* * *

"Repulsor lifts are fully warmed up. We are ready to depart." Brink told Arie as she watched the transports leave the bay for open space and the surface of Msst.

"Force speed," Arie whispered to herself before turning to Callista.

"Brink and I will be on the _Firebird_ , but when the time comes to make a landing to collect the wounded from the med tents, comm me and I will go with you. We'll take the _Firebird_ to the surface- it will be much faster." Arie instructed the younger woman.

"Of course. I would feel better having a master healer with me..." Callista agreed, hugging Arie tightly.

"He'll come back. I have not foreseen Xan's loss as I did my own son's- Kevin in the Harleanan Wars...He'll come back to you." Arie whispered to the young woman clutching her tightly in a warm embrace.

"I know...I can't help but worry." Callista replied, tears slowly running down her cheeks.

"A natural thing for a woman in love," Arie replied, smiling as she kissed Callista on the cheek and turned to join Brink on the _Firebird_. She rounded the path to the cockpit and found Brink already at the controls, raising the boarding ramp.

Arie plopped down in the chair beside him, sudden remorse and darkness filling her heart as Brink took the old Corellian freighter out into a flanked wingman position beside the massive cruiser _New Hope._

Arie closed her eyes and touched her half of the medallion, drawing strength in the heart from it as if she knew her husband was touching his at the very same moment.

"He'll be alright, _shistraka_." Brink tried to soothe her worries.

"It's not him I am worried about," Arie replied, her eyes opening as she looked out the viewport as the last ships faint ion trails were seen entered Msst's atmosphere in the last cycle of landing procedures.

In her native Coshackian tongue, she began to whisper the war prayer she had heard her mother whisper whenever her father had to deal with disturbances on Coshack with the other Guardians.

 _"When the dark wood fell before me and all the paths were overgrown...When the priests of pride say there is no other way...I tilled the sorrows of stone. I did not believe because I could not see, though you came to me in the night. When the dawn seemed forever lost you showed me your love in the light of the stars..."_ She breathed.

Brink, recognizing the ancient Coshackian prayer began to recite it with her, also in Coshackian.

_"Then the mountain rose before me by the deep well of desire...From the fountain of forgiveness, beyond the ice and fire...Though we share this humble path, alone- How fragile is the heart! Oh, give these clay feet wings to fly to touch the face of the stars._

_Breathe life into this feeble heart, lift this mortal veil of fear._

_Take these crumbled hopes, etched with tears- We'll rise above these earthly cares._

_Cast your eyes on the ocean...Cast your soul to the sea..._

_When the dark night seems endless- Please remember me..."_ They finished the prayer together and sat in silence for a few moments...Brink's hand quietly slipping into his sister's and squeezing it tightly as they watched and waited.

* * *

Ainar brought the _Valiant_ out of the hangar bay, he hadn't left with Steffan and Myk because Callista had held him back, wanting to examine him once more. His ribs were almost fully healed and the lungs were still sore, but better. Though he still could not use his hand. There are alternatives to fighting

He watched as transport after transport headed for Msst, bringing Jedi, healers, troops. He set the controls for atmospheric entry and sat back while the ship took him to the prearranged coordinates.

Ainar closed his eyes and drew on the Force, preparing himself for the coming battle...

* * *

Turning away as the _Firebird_ departed, Callista fought back her tears. She knew that many would die today. That was the way of things. She tamped down on her anguish; it would not do for her to do anything reckless. Myk had warned her once.

She made her way swiftly back to her post. There was much to do. While she had been at the briefing, the med bay had been rearranged. It was now set up much like a field hospital, extra cots and equipment lined the walls. The capacity had been doubled.

They would have to house and care for the wounded until the fleet could return to Livda. Knowing that she would not sleep much the next day or so, Callista engaged in brief energizing meditations to keep her energy up. She didn't want to collapse in the middle of stabilizing a patient.

* * *

**Msst**

The ship put down on Msst and Ainar shut her down and headed for the living compartment.

He opened his closet and pulled out a dark jumpsuit, a part of a present from Steffan, back in the days' everyone wanted to kill them. The suit was padded, and communications systems built into the left shoulder. Over the suit, he attached a light composite chest plate and hand armor.

His lightsaber fit perfectly into his jumpsuit, along with a geonosian sonic blaster..no lightsaber can deflect its blast. Alongside it fit three thermal detonators, a vibroblade and a pair of binders.

Ainar opened a small pouch and extracted a vibroknuckle and put it on his left hand. He grinned as he looked at himself in the mirror. "Steffan always goes a little bit over the top, but it looks like all this finally came in handy."

He exited the ship and locked her down. He could see Myk, Steffan and the others ignite their blades and charge. Ainar winced in pain as he reached for his lightsaber with his broken arm and ignited it. He thought of an old Naboo battle cry and smiled as he ran into the crowd.

"For the Queen and country!"

* * *

Steffan heard the battlecry just as he reached the front line, and it almost caught him off guard as the first Sith approached him.

 _Not this day,_ he thought as he threw the Sith's blade upward and brought his back down and cut the man down from shoulder to hip. There was another that came in behind that one, whirling his blade around. Steffan only pointed his blade toward him and the Sith impaled his own throat on Steffan's lightsaber.

_You cannot let this happen......_

He heard his father's words as he kept surrendering more and more of himself to the Force as he kept on fighting. This galaxy has know too much conflict. You cannot let a scourge like that of Palpatine come again, my son. This must be ended and balance restored.

"And...so...." Steffan said as he grabbed a charging Sith by the arm and used the momentum to hurl him to the ground, impaling him with his lightsaber as he landed. "I give my all to this...."

Several more came at him, and Steffan fought with renewed strength after the ordeal of escaping from those four Star Destroyers. He could feel everyone's presence through the Force and found Ainar struggling to keep up with those Sith that were charging him.

He fought through the line, taking down those that were angling in at him, until he reached where Ainar was and intercepted the next warrior that was coming, arcing his blade upward and caught the man across the neck, severing the arteries.

"What do you think you're doing here still injured?" He asked between blows and fighting off more and more.

"Did you think I was going to let you fight here alone?" Ainar asked as he blocked one blow and jabbed his vibroblade into the Sith's belly. "Always together, brother...always together."

"Then let us finish this," Steffan said as they continued to help their own.

* * *

Steffan and Ainar struggled to clear a way towards a young Jedi Knight, struggling to fend off his attackers.

Ainar raised his vibroblade and threw it, hitting a Sith in the back, just under his shoulder. Using the Force he twisted the blade and sent the Sith to his knees screaming in agony until he passed out.

Steffan looked at him confused. _No need to slaughter them all...then we are no better than our enemy._ Steffan nodded in agreement at Ainar's message and they continued towards the Jedi Knight.

Steffan brought his blade up as soon as he was in range of one of the Sith and severed his hand, sending the Sith's double-bladed lightsaber flying into the air.

Ainar used the Force and slammed the Sith downwards, knocking him out.

The young Jedi was still facing two Sith and managed to stay alive by evading their blows, the young man had been severely hurt and couldn't last much longer in a fight.

Ainar ran towards the two Sith, crouching, holding his blade low. The two Sith stopped and brought their blades low to intercept Ainar.

When he got within range, Ainar suddenly jumped and twisted horizontally in the air, severing their heads and landing on the other side. Ainar fell to his knees, clutching his right hand just as Steffan came, followed by the Young Jedi and pulled him up.

"I didn't know you could do that, old man," Steffan said grinning.

"Yeah, I'm full of surprises," Ainar said, looking for another dose of painkillers to inject himself with.

"You shouldn't be out here, Master,” the young Jedi said, bringing a nod from Steffan.

"Nonsense, now you get over to the med tents, and that's an order," Ainar said to the Jedi Knight.

"Yes Master, May the Force be with you...and you Master Karrde." The young Knight bowed and started towards the med tents.

"So, are you ready for some more?" Ainar asked Steffan with a big grin and ignited his blade.

"Lets get 'em," Steffan said as they plunged back into the fray, Ainar taking those on the left while Steffan handled the Sith that came at them on the right.

One Sith lept in from above and brought his blade down on Steffan, but he parted it aside. The warrior came around to strike from the right, but Steffan turned with the block and impaled the man with his blade as he took the fallen warrior's lightsaber in his left hand. With both blades, he fought on and kept Ainar's back cleared as the two went through the crowd.

"Close in on Dilan and Ter-lon," Steffan told Ainar as he started taking two Sith on with his blades. "There's safety in numbers." He blocked high, then low before hammering them back with a Force blow. They came in again and Steffan rolled underneath their strikes and cut both along the spine as he came back up. "Let's go."

* * *

**New Hope**

The comm blared a priority signal, bringing Callista back to reality. Leaning across her desk, she thumbed it active. "Master Gseran."

The voice of one of the Jedi healers with the med unit on Msst filtered through. _"Master, we have four critical cases here that need immediate evac."_

"On my way," Callista replied as she rose.

Summoning her assistant, Callista spoke calmly but quickly. "I am heading dirtside to pick up the wounded. Please have a trauma team meet me in the landing bay."

"Yes, Master..."

Nodding, Callista turned and ran down the corridor, technicians and other Jedi moving aside as they sensed the urgency. Thumbing her wrist comm, Callista hailed _Firebird_. "Arie, please meet me in the landing bay, we have four critical cases to evac. I will be bringing a trauma team with me."

 _"Acknowledged,"_ Arie responded. Callista heard her issuing orders as she signed off. Skidding around the corner, Callista almost ran into the trauma team as they reached the bay at the same moment. The doors slid apart to reveal _Firebird_ setting down just as they entered. Arie ran down the boarding ramp to help the team with their equipment.

Boarding, Callista followed Arie and took the jump seat in the cockpit. "We have four critical cases, to evac, plus some with less serious wounds..." Nodding, Arie watched Brink as the ' _Bird_ soared out of the bay towards the surface.

* * *

"Set her down over there, Brink." Arie instructed her friend and pilot, pointing at a clearing next to two roughly constructed shelters the Jedi had set up as a temporary medical center for the incoming wounded and dying.

Brink had the _Firebird_ on the surface in no time, a smooth and steady landing proof to his years of experience piloting ships.

"There must be hundreds that never make it to the med tents..." Callista whispered once they were on the ground and the boarding ramp lowered, revealing seven Jedi lying on makeshift gurneys with three other Jedi non-combatants tending to their wounds.

Arie nodded in agreement, knowing that these were the few lucky ones who had not been killed in combat.

"Take those three to the ship and come back. I'm going to assess these four before we move them." Arie said, moving towards the more severely wounded of the bunch.

Callista nodded in reply and helped the three wounded Jedi hobble to the _Firebird_.

Arie looked the four over. One female and three males...the woman was suffering from two broken ribs, a deep gash to the forehead and a minor slash in her left arm. The men were worse though. One's arm had been severed above the elbow and he lay unconscious. The other two had wounds to their chest and abdomen and were barely conscious.

Arie removed her tikki blade from her left boot sheath and ran the blade through one of the torches that were burning at the corners of the tent to mark it as a non-combat zone until the blade was searing hot.

She moved to the man whose arm had been severed. Although lightsabers general cauterized most wounds, this man's arm must have only been partially cut due to the severed edges that were bleeding profusely.

 _Force, I hate to do this._ Arie thought to herself. She had tended to wounded under field combat conditions many times, but she always hated to see a fallen soldier. She laid her hand on the man's forehead and put him into a healing trance so he would not feel any pain.

Callista returned, and was at Arie's side, silently watching.

"Put the woman in a healing trance. Her broken ribs will keep. Then tend to the other two men, they have internal bleeding." Arie instructed the young woman. Callista again nodded and silently went about tending to the other three wounded, the three non-combatant Jedi aiding her as best as they could.

Arie took a deep breath and steadied her hand. Then she began to cut, opening the wound so she could remove bits of seared tunic and dirt. After cleansing the wound, she sutured it and wrapped it in bandages. She instructed one of the nursing Jedi to administer a shot of high-potency antibiotics and anti-virals before she moved to clean the blood from her tikki blade.

"This one can be moved now." Arie told Callista.

Arie moved to the end of the make-shift tents. It was getting dark and she could hear the battle raging somewhere over the hill that backed the medical tents. _At least Myk-Ron had enough sense to flank the med tents with this hill to provide protection._ Arie smiled to herself.

"Arie, the wounded are boarded and secure. Commander Cadre asks when we will be departing." Callista reported to Arie, standing beside her and looking at the hill.

"Good. Tell Brink to take you back to the _New Hope_ and continue healing their wounds. Come back for me in one hour." Arie said.

"Wait, surely you aren't thinking about staying? It is too dangerous!" Callista protested.

"I've been in far more dangerous situations before and come out just fine. Now, do as I say. Return for me in an hour..." Arie replied. Callista wanted to argue but decided against it and headed back for the _Firebird._

"Father said the two forms of light could not be separated...Myk-Ron needs me," Arie whispered to herself, a deep transient feeling washing over her as she began to climb the hill towards the battle.

* * *

"She _what_?!?!" Brink almost yelled at Callista when she reported Arie's orders.

"It was her wish, Commander," Callista replied.

"For the love of _kriffin_ Hutt-sithspawn....Arie, you crazy damned Jedi-lovin' fool...." Brink cursed loudly, ignoring Callista's presence aboard the ship as he raised the boarding ramp and fired the repulsor lifts to take Callista back to _New Hope_ with the seven wounded Jedi aboard...he continued to curse and rant.

Callista could hear him raving something about pregnant Coshackian women...she smiled to herself.

* * *

"The Phoenix has finally arrived. She will move to her husband's side in battle...we must not allow them to be reunited," Myyk-Ron instructed four adepts. They bowed and left his side. His dark gaze rested on one figure amongst the sea of Jedi and Sith. He saw his enemy's grandson fighting off two of the adepts quite skillfully.

 _Myk-Ron Dinn...our time has come. I will make you come to me through your grandson..._ Myyk-Ron smiled to himself, igniting his blade and slowly made his way through the battlefield for Ter-lon Dinn.


	14. Chapter 14

Ter-lon blocked high and came around low, dodging a deadly blow from the Sith he was fighting.

His blade came around quickly and took the head of the Sith he was dueling with it. The headless body dropped to the ground and Ter-lon quickly turned to block an on-coming assault from two other Sith. Dilan was towards his left rear somewhere, fighting off a couple of Sith himself. The two young men were doing their best to stay near one another.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Steffan and Ainar were slowly gaining ground in his direction. He could see his grandfather fighting three Sith at once, over the shoulders of his two opponents.

Ter-lon made quick disposal of the two Sith he was fighting, a renewed sense of energy flowing into him upon the sight of his grandfather in combat. He began to go to his grandfather's aid, but a brilliant silver blade blocked his view.

He looked into the face of the Sith and took a step back...it was his grandfather's face! Cloaked in Sith robes! Dark and loathsome...Fighting off a sense of confusion and hurt, he raised his blade to fend off the Sith's attack.

The attack never landed though.

" _Leave my grandson alone,_ " Came a gruff voice. Ter-lon looked to see his grandfather, all in black, but his trade-mark freighter vest swinging from his chest, standing between him and the Sith.

"Your fight is with me," Myk-Ron told his evil clone, pushing the Sith backward, away from his grandson.

Ter-lon backed away from the two men and his back bumped into another. Turning quickly, blade raised to a defense posture, he found Ainar's bright grin instead of a Sith.

"Master! I thought you'd never come!" Ter-lon joked, knowing his master wouldn't have missed this battle for all of the credits in the galaxy.

"Better late than never!" Ainar answered as the two backed up to each other, master and knight, fighting off Sithly foes...

* * *

Arie moved across the top of the hill and looked below...she inhaled deeply at what she saw.

Below at the bottom of the hill was a great field clearing, filled with Sith and Jedi....every color of lightsaber moving in great shining arcs and swift movements....cries of pain and anguish...fierce yells....prodding cheers of encouragement....a whirlwind of humming sabers....

Her hand automatically went to her abdomen, the tiny Force signature growing within her womb causing her to swallow hard.

 _What if Father was right? What if we lose and are driven into exile once more? What if Myk-Ron should perish? What is to become of our child? What of Ter-lon and Callista..._ Arie's mind raced with the memories of being driven into exile when she was nine years old...driven from the Jedi Temple by Darth Vader and his troops...before the Temple was destroyed....

Her hand fell from her abdomen to the cold titanium-ore steel hilt hanging from her belt. It was her father's saber....the great Jedi Master Ter-lon Luxkert....She felt his strength flowing into her through the Force, channeled by the Phoenix within her...

Arie set her jaw and brow, her hand firmly grasping the hilt. _I shall finish what my father began almost a century ago..._ The brilliant blue blade hummed to life once more in her hand...

* * *

The Rogue ducked a horizontal swing from his opponent and jabbed his silver blade in the opposite direction, catching a minion off-guard.

Myyk-Ron didn’t flinch.

The clone’s blade whipped through an infinity arc before cutting in at Myk’s neck. He caught the blow on the tip of his silver blade and swept it out in a wide arc. If the motion was allowed to continue, Myk’s blade would be outside his opponent's in a split second...The Rogue shut off his blade and lunged. Myyk’s lightsaber scythed through the air in continuation of the parry, but the clone whipped it back around in time to deflect Myk’s re-ignited blade. Myk let the momentum of the parry continue through as he spun on his left heel and brought his right up in a roundhouse kick to the clone’s gut.

There was no impact, and Myk snapped his silver blade up above his head in time to catch a downward slash close to the hilt. Myyk landed on the Rogue’s left and threw a left-handed jab while the two’s sabers were locked above their heads. Myk-Ron dropped his stance, keeping his blade above him to fend off an attack from the most likely angle. The clone’s punch sailed through open space where Myk’s head was moments before. For a fraction of a microsecond, Myyk was off-balance and the Rogue took the opening. He dropped his right shoulder and pushed off the ground with all his might and a telekinetic boost from the Force, slamming his shoulder into Myyk’s gut and lifting the clone off the ground.

Myyk-Ron flew backward a meter or so before flipping his feet over his head and landing gracefully five meters from Myk.

The clone laughed a cold and dark chuckle that could have been Myk’s. “When are you going to stop playing games?” The clone shouted above the din of battle.

Myk ducked the swing of a Sith flanking him and came up with his silver blade held backward. The attacking Sith fell to the ground in two pieces. “When you start putting up a fight,” Myk-Ron snapped back. He stalked towards his clone, cutting down Sith as he waded through the masses.

“I’m just warming up,” Myyk-Ron replied darkly as he cut down a Jedi who’d managed to push this far into the battle. Clear space separated the two warriors by three meters. They stood rock still, each evaluating the other. Each tapping deeper into the Force. Each waiting for the other to make their first move.

Then the Rogue sensed it. She was on the hill just outside the field. For the space between heartbeats, his attention was not on the battle, and Myyk-Ron made the first move.

There was a silver blur and Myk was just able to bring his blade to bear, keeping the clone from taking his arm, but failing to prevent the slash from taking a good decimeter of skin with it. The cut burned with the intensity of a star going nova, and smoke rose from the gash, but Myk shunted the pain. He could not afford to be distracted right now...the gash in his right arm told him he needed to stay focused.

Myyk-Ron laughed once more as he and Myk began a slow circle. The laugh resonated with power and Myk saw lightning flash in the clone’s eyes. A belated realization came to the Rogue then, and the thought drained the color from his face.

“Yes,” Myyk nodded. “The Force must always be balanced. In a way, you are responsible for my existence. The deaths of countless Jedi fall squarely on your shoulders. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, doesn’t it?”

“You’re not going to get me angry, _clone_ ,” Myk said, making the word a curse. “Enough with the talking, and let’s see just how balanced the Force really is.”

As he had before, Myk fell instantly into the Force. Lightning danced across the sky and in the Rogue’s eyes as the pure energy of the Force coursed through his body. The Jedi and Sith around him and his clone were pushed back as if by an invisible wall ten meters from where the two circled one another. The very air seemed alive with the energy bleeding off the two. When next they spoke, their voices carried on as echoes in the Force.

“ _You shall fall by my blade yet, Myk-Ron Dinn,”_ Myyk said. _“And the Jedi shall fall with you.”_

Myk-Ron said nothing as he continued to fall. He could sense all the creatures on the planet, but he focused his mind on his opponent. The two were like vortexes of pure Force energy circling one another. The run-off energy caused warriors too close to the two conduits to cringe in pain.

As Myk fell deeper yet, the outside world ceased to exist, indeed, he himself began to fade into nothingness. When he could feel himself on the verge of slipping over that very thin line, he charged. His clone followed suit.

The two cleared the distance between them as quick as the lightning that flashed in the sky. When their blades met, there was a sound like distant thunder. They remained locked in that position for a moment...and then their motions were lost in the blur of their battle.

* * *

“He’s doing it again,” Nik called as his gold blade sliced neatly through one Sith and into another.

“What’s that?” Vince asked as he brought his crimson blade around in an arc that deftly deflected the attacks of three Sith. The mercenary grinned before turning his left palm towards his attackers and sending several thousand joules of raw energy coursing through them in the form of bluish-white lightning.

Nik caught an attacker’s blade high above his head with his gold blade in his right hand, in his left was a hold-out blaster and he shoved the small gun into the Sith’s gut before pumping five shots out the warrior’s back. Momentarily in the clear, he nodded towards the center of the battlefield and the growing ball of pure energy at its heart. “He’s playing the hero again,” The pirate sighed.

“And we’ve managed to drift this far away?” Vince looked shocked. “We’ll have to remedy this situation immediately.”

“Sometimes, you have really good ideas, Vince,” Nik grinned as he put his hold-out blaster back in its holster. “Let’s do just that.”

With a speed and grace that belied the duo’s fighting prowess, Nik-Yar Randar and Vincent Rane cut their way to the center of the battlefield...

* * *

"How long?" Steffan asked as he knelt on the ground.

"Hours," Ainar said as other Jedi and Jensaari gathered with them. The ground was strewn with the bodies of Jedi, Jensaari, and Sith...those that did not survive their wounds.

"The shuttles have been going back and forth almost constantly," Dilan said as he looked over the field. "I never would have thought..."

"Never thought what, young one?" one of the elder Jensaari said as he lifted his mask, looking along Steffan's age. His armour and robes bore the strikes and near misses as Steffan's own as well...as well as many that gathered around them.

"Battles of this type I've only heard in story and song," Dilan told him as he knelt on the ground. "Never have I tasted battle of this scale."

"It has been with us since the dawn of time," the elder told him. "It always has, it always will be...so long as good and evil exists in the hearts of men."

"The Force required balance," Steffan said as he stood up and saw what remained of the Sith started to approach them again. Dilan, the Jensaari and the rest stood with him as Steffan ignited his blue-silver blade again and raised it high above him. "And so it did with the fall of the Sith Empire...so it did with the Clone Wars...so it does now."

"Waxing poetic, Jedi?" the elder asked him as they stood side by side. "You are so different from what we were told."

"You've never met a Cataani before," Steffan told him as he brought his lightsaber to a guard position. "My people's history was all about the battlefield and honor. An age of adventure that can sometimes still exist...even in this galaxy."

"Here they come," Dilan said as the Jedi and Jensaari raised their lightsabers as one.

"Let the Force and your heart guide your actions," Steffan told all of them. "For it is there where the battle for good and evil is decided...this is just an expression of that battle." He broke out in a run, ahead of the rest, heading towards the Sith warriors...once more unto the breach.

* * *

Arie had carefully positioned herself to avoid being flanked, her back against the hill and the four adepts slowly fanning out in front of her.

Suddenly, Ter-lon and Callista were kicking two of the adepts away from her, knocking them to the ground, both of them landing neatly beside Arie.

"Thought you might need some help, Gran'ma-ma!" Ter-lon grinned as he dueled the Sith to the left and Callista took the one to the right, giving Arie a clear path between the Sith.

"Go to your husband! You said you two cannot be separated or we will suffer the consequences..." Callista called out over her shoulder as she forced the Sith to back further away from the hill.

"Go, Gran'ma-ma! We'll protect the hill and the med tents." Ter-lon said, taking the head of the Sith he was dueling with his blade, swiftly. He turned on one of the Sith who was waking up and slowly getting to his feet.

Arie nodded and quickly made her way into the swarm of the battle, gaining ground on Steffan and Ainar...slowly making her way towards her husband, fending off random blows and attempts to engage her in a duel.

 _I must get to him...Our love and our strength is the only thing that might save us here today..._ She thought to herself, determined to reach Myk-Ron who was still dueling his clone...

* * *

"Steffan," Ainar said over the shouts of the battle as he closed the distance with his friend. "Arie's heading this way!"

"She's got to get to Myk," Steffan said for himself as much as he did for Ainar as they started clearing a path for her. "Get as close to them as you can."

He ducked the swing of one of the oncoming warrior and drove his blade upwards and caught the man through the neck. With others coming behind the man, Steffan took the Sith's saber in hand and fought the two off with both blades. Ainar had already made his way over and took one of them out, and Steffan didn't waste any time to take the second one.

"There's a wall of them," Arie said as she came up behind the two. "We can't waste time going through all of them."

"And you won't," Steffan told her as he dropped the Sith's saber and shut down his own, turning towards Arie and cupping his hands together. "Come on!"

She stepped up and Steffan put the entire strength he could muster, hurling her over the wall of warriors where she could reach her husband. In no time, he turned back around and drew his lightsaber again in one swift motion as the wall started to charge them.

He stood at the ready next to Ainar as the wall got closer before asking the question to no one....

"Who first?"

* * *

When his right shoulder hit the ground the impact dug a small trench about two meters long. The Rogue sensed his opponent above him, coming down at Myk-Ron hard. Myk let the momentum carry him through a haphazard roll and planted his left palm on the soft ground. Mid-roll, the Conduit pushed through the Force, propelling himself two meters into the air and twisting to land firmly on his feet.

Myyk-Ron’s blade cut deep into the soil where Myk had hit, and the clone was quick to set himself for Myk’s charge. No sooner had the Rogue’s feet hit the dirt, then he raced towards the clone with blinding speed. Myyk caught the blow on his blade and the impact sent a rumble through the air. Myk’s right hook, aided in power through the Force, caught the clone on the jaw. Myyk-Ron rolled with the punch into a twisting backflip that put a good three meters between the combatants.

A thin rivulet of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and the clone swiped it away with his left hand.

Instantly, the two met, blades crashing together in a blinding flash of incandescent light. To the untrained eye, there was a maelstrom of raw energy burning in the center of this battle-field. To those who could see the warriors clashing amidst this vortex of pure Force energy, the sight was awe-inspiring.

* * *

Arie’s leap, aided by Steffan, carried her twenty meters through the air. She twisted through a graceful flip and saw that she was going to drop short of the center by about fifteen meters. Fifteen meters of black-clad Sith Warriors. Grinning to herself, and tapping ever so slightly on the Force, she managed to plant her right boot in the side of one unlucky Sith’s head. There was the wet pop of vertebrae snapping, and a tearing noise as his neck was ripped nearly in half. The arterial spray covered the Sith next to him in black blood, and Arie whipped her azure saber through the distracted warrior's torso before he knew what hit him.

A small smile played about her lips as the warriors in the immediate area turned their hate-filled gazes upon her. Something in the back of her mind was resurfacing, and a cold fire blazed in her icy blue eyes. Old instincts began flooding her senses, and the old thrill of combat put a bounce in her step she’d forgotten she had. The Force began flowing through her like a tidal wave, and the grin on her face grew. She set herself in a stance that she never knew she knew, and beckoned those nearest to attack.

* * *

“There she goes,” Nik commented as his gold blade ripped through the abdomen of a Sith warrior.

Vince nodded as he pulled his red blade from the eye socket of his latest opponent. For a moment the two were in the clear, and the mercenary took a quick look around to get his bearings. Arie dropped neatly to the ground ten meters to the duo’s left, and Vincent Rane grinned wickedly at the fountain of blood that shot up shortly afterward. “She’s getting it back,” He said to his pirate friend.

“Those two need to be together,” Nik nodded towards the Force storm raging eighteen meters forward and to their left.

“Join the Conduit and the Phoenix?” Vince smiled wickedly. “An excellent idea.”

The two rushed headlong into a veritable wall of Sith, taking down five from the side of their formation before the warriors knew there was a threat. Nik ducked the swing of one warrior and brought his gold blade up from the poor Sith’s crotch to his right shoulder before whipping the lightsaber to the right in a wide parry that deflected the attack of another.

Vince took advantage of Nik’s sweeping strike and lanced the occupied Sith through the heart. Smoke rose from the wound as arteries vaporized, and the warrior began a slow fall to the ground. Before that corpse hit its final resting place, Vince scythed his crimson blade through the neck of the next Sith in his path then pushed that body forward with the Force. The headless corpse barreled over three Sith warriors and the two now had a clear path to Arie.

* * *

There were five Sith engaged with her, and, in her mind, she tagged them by the color of their blades. Green, Blue, Purple, Orange, and Yellow. Yellow stumbled forward as what looked like a headless body slammed into his back, and Arie flicked her blue blade through a tight arc that took the top seven centimeters of his skull. His body dropped the rest of the way to the ground.

Then Orange came at her. She caught his sweeping blow with a back-hand parry and planted her left boot in Purple’s chest as that warrior joined his comrade. A gratifying crack sounded over the din of the battle and Purple’s face soon matched the color of his blade as the air escaped his punctured lungs. Arie brought her blade back to her center, tracing a thin line across Orange’s stomach and catching Blue’s blow close to her hilt. She rode the energy weapon down to the warrior holding it and dropped her shoulder into his chest. Blue flew backwards and was impaled by Green’s blade. As Green shoved Blue’s dead body away from him, Arie swept her own blue blade through his neck. A look of shock crossed his face before his head rolled from his shoulders and hit the ground with a wet thud.

Nik and Vince were at her sides then, and the two grinned at her broadly. Blood covered both of them from head to boot, and she was sure that some of it was theirs, but the smiles on their faces told her they were fine.

“Glad you could join us, your highness,” Nik-Yar cracked.

“Indeed,” Vince agreed. “Allow us to escort you to your husband.”

“My,” Arie let her left hand flutter to her chest in a gesture of girlish embarrassment. “What fine gentlemen the two of you are.”

Nik and Vince just grinned more as the three of them plunged into the wall of Sith between them and Myk-Ron Dinn.

* * *

The outside world was a blur of sensations. A muffled cry here. A shout of joy, cut off prematurely, there. Jedi, Dathomir Witches, and Jensaari fell by the dozens, adding their bodies to those of the Sith that lay strewn about the battlefield.

But, to Myk-Ron, none of that mattered at the moment. With each passing moment, the Rogue fell deeper into the Force. He could feel himself slipping as he fought on with his clone. The battle was requiring all the power he could summon and more, and, in the part of him that was still human, he knew if he kept going as he was he’d be lost to the Force forever.

All of this flew through his mind in the space between heartbeats. His arms moved his argent blade on an intercept course for his clone’s blow even as he lashed out with a side kick to Myyk’s gut. The Rogue’s blow sailed through the air, missing by bare centimeters. For a brief moment, he was slightly off-balance, and the Force push from his clone sent him flying. He went with the momentum and twisted into a corkscrew flip that landed him amidst three Sith warriors. The poor fools were dead before they realized he was there.

Again he hurled himself at the clone, and the two Conduits battled for their lives.

As the fight pressed on, Myk knew his time was running out. He could either give himself over completely to the Force and continue the battle or remain on the ledge and risk losing this fight. He knew his clone was thinking the same thing...the only question was who would go over first...

And, then, the Rogue sensed it, and he had his answer. Bursting through the line of Sith five meters to his left, was the Phoenix, in all her glory, flanked by two of the finest rogues Myk had ever known...

Myk-Ron Dinn smiled inwardly as he parried yet another vicious blow. The shockwave rippled through the air and shook the ground. With his wife, the Phoenix, by his side, he could remain on that ledge. Then maybe...just maybe, they could defeat the Sith...

* * *

Ainar's body armor was as good as destroyed, but it had kept his injured body going so far.

Ainar and Steffan had gotten themselves into quite a jam helping Arie, they were now surrounded.

Two Jedi against hundreds of Sith.

"Steffan…"

"Yeah..." he replied as they stood back to back, lightsabers at ready.

"We can't fight them all, and there's no one close enough to assist...you noticed that, yes?"

"Yes, but we can't give up...if we are to fall, we're taking them with us," Steffan replied.

Ainar took a few deep breaths and then shut off his lightsaber. "No."

Steffan turned his head slightly and looked at him quizzically.

"You're going to see your grandchild..." Ainar said as he placed him palms together in front of him and drew on the Force. Blue bolts of energy started to form, forming a double helix around his hands, then he opened his palms and blue energy engulfed his friend, sending Steffan flying through the air with the aid of the Force, and landing him on the other side of the battle. A more strategic position.

_Why are you doing this Ainar...bring me back!_

_You must survive...I'll do my best to do so from over here also...though, it's been an honor serving with you my friend._ Ainar let his hands fall to his belt and grabbed two thermal detonators. "Let's do this."

* * *

Arie's blade tore through the two Sith in front of her in perfect form, taking the right one's left shoulder and the left one's head. She looked and found her husband only a few feet away, but another Sith blocked her way.

" _You_ are not going to keep me from my husband!" Arie swore, moving to a defensive stance and taking the first move, making her blade cut at the Sith's waistline.

She felt Nik and Vince to her left and right, they had gained ground back to her side once more, fending off side attacks so she could get to the Conduit. They watched her ferocity as she battled the Sith between her and her husband.

"I do say, ole boy, we may win this thing yet." Nik joked in his worst Bothan aristocratic imitation.

* * *

Ter-lon and Callista were fending off small waves of Sith adepts who had broken from their master's promise to not attack any wounded Jedi. Ter-lon had seen them coming a mile away, a look of evil pleasure playing on their lips as they approached the two younger Jedi. The med tents lay just over the hill behind them and they knew they had to protect what few wounded Jedi were there being treated by med technicians and droids.

"Calli, I do believe we have visitors," Ter-lon joked, moving his blade in front of him and his friend.

"Too bad visiting hours are over!" Callista joined him, her blade moving beside his as they prepared to take on seven Sith adepts who were trying to get over the hill that flanked them. It was as they moved that a familiar form joined them, the red armor and green blade instantly familiar to her.

* * *

Arie's quick work of the Sith opponent found her within reaching distance of her husband. His clone was giving him a hard way to go, their blades crashing with great force into one another and forcing each other to lose ground in either direction.

Arie set her jaw and her brow and moved to him.

He felt her immediately. Her back pressed against his, the warmth, the power, the rippling back muscles as she moved her blade to ward off attackers.

"Thought you would never join me," Myk-Ron said.

"And what? Allow my husband to die? What good is a child, all the children in the galaxy for that matter, if there is no father to raise her?" Arie replied, her blade ripping an Adept's legs out from under him.

He did not reply - he was still entangled with his clone.

She found herself, her back to his, in a clearing, a brief period of rest as the Sith warriors moved outward towards the remaining Jedi, forgetting the Conduit, their Sith master, and the Phoenix. _Father...this is for you._ Arie's mental message began as a ripple in the Force, steadily growing in strength and size as she fell deeper into the Force, drawing on the Phoenix to channel the energy...

* * *

Steffan saw it before it happened.

_The growing blue light from the center of the battlefield...._

The massive energy wave-ring that began to extend outward as if ripples upon a still pond...

Steffan knew this was pure Force energy in the raw.

He felt the ring pass through him, waist-level, giving him a renewed respect for the Force...

Then he saw it...the giant bird of the Phoenix let out a cry that would have made Coshackian banshees shudder...the shrilling cry was more than of a lost soul, but rather the cry of two forces joining into one...

* * *

She gave her all to the Force...falling as deep as the Phoenix would let her...she felt the energy leave her body in the form of the great fiery bird, exploding into its raw form high above her head...it had several hundred smaller bird-forms under its wings...She watched as the little birds began to fan out…

* * *

Ainar smiled to himself as he continued to fight off as many Sith as he could, quickly, when the little fiery bird alighted upon his head, sending massive waves of renewed energy from the Force into him, making his movements more fluid and in-tune with the Force.....

* * *

Ter-lon, Callista and Xan feared the worst when a fiery bird settled above each of their heads, also giving them energy and strength.

"Grandmother must have fallen..." Ter-lon breathed in shock.

They could not see the other Jedi below the hill in the battlefield, each with their own fiery bird above them, giving them energy and following their every movement, increasing their speed, making their actions fluid and flawless...and so they assumed that Arie had died in battle for the Phoenix birds to be joining them, her grandchildren...her kin...

Slowly all over the battlefield, the tide began to turn and for once more Sith began to fall in battle, instead of Jedi as it had been all morning and afternoon...

* * *

Myk-Ron felt the great bird dive into his chest, the Conduit and the Phoenix joining in a dance of fire and light within him...

His strength...his power...his actions...his mindset...he turned his eyes upon his clone and thought he saw his clone shudder for a brief moment in fear...

"Now we end this once and for all," Myk-Ron breathed, a whirlwind of Force energy radiating from his body and overflowing from his blade as he moved to attack his opponent with renewed strength...

* * *

She lay on the ground, weakly holding her head up enough to watch her husband a few feet away fighting off the clone.

 _The two become one..._ she thought as she watched the fire and the light chasing each other within her husband and bonding together into what appeared the beginning of a supernova...but within her husband's body instead of a star system.

She continued to watch, unable to move. Her body felt like iron on the ground and it took what strength she had to hold her head up to watch the two battle...She couldn't feel the fetus in her womb…but then again she couldn't feel her legs either... _or her arms...chest...face..._

She felt numb to everything, the Phoenix having left her body to join with the Conduit and smaller parts of the great fiery bird had joined every Jedi on the battlefield...but had left her weak, helpless, drained, and unable to move.

She watched with hazy eyes as the clone finally fell to the ground...dead.

Myk-Ron turned and she could see the fiery white-hot light glowing within his chest and in his eyes. When he fixed his gaze on her, laying on the ground, the light faded from his eyes, but not his chest. He knelt beside her and moved a strand of hair from her face.

"Help the others first." Arie weakly told him, shutting her eyes in relief and laying her head back on the ground.

 _I love you..._ she sent to her husband as he began to move towards the wall of Sith that were keeping Steffan and Ainar at bay, as well as Nik and Vince who had gone to attack the backside of the Sith wall.

* * *

To describe the feeling that had washed over him was...indescribable. There was nothing in Basic, Cataani, or any other language that Steffan could use to put it into words as he fought with a renewed spirit.

"They're pulling back," one of the Jensaari yelled over the noise that the phoenix had made combined with the clash of lightsabers. Steffan threw his torn and tattered robe to the ground as he looked to where Ainar had thrown him out of the fight.

"This is the chance," the Jensaari elder said as he closed the distance with Steffan. "We cannot waste it!"

"And we won't," Steffan said as he looked over the lines. The Sith were pulling back, having taken many more losses in the past few moments that he had last seen the line...before he had hurled Arie over to her husband.

And that was when the explosions sounded over the group of Sith warriors...around there area where he'd left Ainar!

"Give me three warriors," he told the group. “The rest can encircle the remaining force, but give me three."

And three walked up...a Jensaari, Dilan, and a fellow Jedi. Steffan turned to look at the area where Ainar was, the feeling he was getting from the Sith around him was deaf and disoriented. Used the detonators as flash-bangs.

"Let's get our own back."

* * *

Ainar felt warmth fill his entire being, the great bird of the Phoenix circled above him and sent him strength through the Force. He gasped as he felt the power. _Oh no..._

His eyes burned with power as the strength and power of the Darkside filled his being. Power crackled between his fingers, and he looked up at the Sith that were gaining on him. They all grinned at him. "Welcome back, _Fallen one_."

Ainar felt fear, he felt cold. _I can't do this again..._ but he could use this power to kill these Sith and win the battle...after that he would rid himself of this power.

He bit tongue and concentrated... _no...STOP._ "NO!"

He raised his hand and sent tendrils of Force lightning into the ground, volley after volley. Burning the ground...draining the newly gained power from his being. The fire faded from his eyes, he felt the pain in his body returning as the Phoenix's power left him.

He couldn't ever taste that much power again...the temptation was too strong...he couldn't fight on the same level as the other Jedi around him now did...but his control of the Force had greatly improved during his stay on Barab 1...that would have to do.

He looked at the Sith again, their smile fading as they raised their blades again. He didn't know how to get out of this...he was greatly outnumbered, he was weak and injured. They would overpower him in minutes.

Ainar cupped the detonators in his left hand and smiled...he had forgotten about those. He thumbed the detonators on and threw them into the air, guiding them with the Force until they were positioned 2 meters above the Sith around him.

They exploded.

Ainar got knocked to the ground, his ears rang and he tasted blood. He stood up slowly and shook off the disorienting feeling. He was lucky to be farther from the explosion than the Sith closest to him. They were all getting back on their feet, disoriented and deaf. Ainar raised his blade. "Now we are even."

* * *

He felt her back tense and sensed a small surge in the Force. It was like a spark in the maelstrom that engulfed this section of battlefield. He cut his silver blade low and his clone was quick to counter. The parry sent Myk’s arms out wide with the impact, and Myk knew his clone was falling deeper.

He barely managed to bring his lightsaber back to guard in time. Myyk-Ron’s blade cut through one of the chest plates in the Rogue’s battle gear, and grazed the skin beneath. Myk shunted the pain and pressed the attack. He couldn’t afford to fall any deeper...he’d be lost, but his clone appeared to be able to handle it. More and more were getting through Myk’s defense...

 _I hope you have an idea, babe,_ Myk risked a message to his wife. _He’s tougher than he looks._

 _Of course he is,_ Arie’s voice carried her wit even in his head. _He’s you. Get ready for a boost._

_What?_

And then the spark that Myk had sensed earlier flared into a supernova. The power rushing into his body renewed his strength and sharpened his resolve. Ethereal flames erupted all around him, and he felt the power of the Phoenix embrace him. He caught his clone’s slash close to the hilt and gazed coldly at his opponent across the locked blades. Then the Rogue hit his clone with a wall of Force energy.

Myyk-Ron flew backwards with the impact of the telekinetic blast. His back slammed into a tree on the edge of the clearing, nearly thirty meters from Myk. There was a loud snap as the tree split down the middle. Myyk-Ron heaved himself to his feet and glared across the field of battle. He tapped deeper into the Force and charged.

When the two Conduits met, their blades clashing together, the force of the blow split earth and rock. Warriors near the place of their duel toppled as the ground suddenly shifted beneath their feet.

Myk-Ron Dinn parried high above his head and brought his knee up into his clone’s stomach. Myyk-Ron would have doubled over in pain, but something told him to fall backward instead. A silver stream of light passed through the space where his head had been moments before, and the clone rolled backward with his fall. The two faced each other and circled...for what would be the last time.

“So this is how it will end, Myk?” The clone asked. “You will use the Phoenix and destroy me, and then you’ll wipe out the Sith once more so that the Jedi may flourish?”

“My stake has never been with the Jedi, clone,” The Rogue replied. “And you know that. I’m here for my friends. You’ve threatened their lives and for that, I end yours.”

“And in doing so, you upset the balance,” Myyk-Ron spat back. “You profess to understand and embrace the true chaos of the Force, yet you will choose a side? This war shall never end, Myk-Ron Dinn. Slay me now, and know that another will come along in my place. As long as there are Jedi, there will be Sith. And, when the Jedi grow strong, the Sith will become stronger. You know this. History will forever repeat itself.”

“I know,” The Rogue answered.

“And still, you will fight?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I love my friends,” Myk-Ron Dinn sighed. “To keep them safe, I would abandon the Force forever.”

“Never compromising to the end,” The clone shrugged, and it seemed a weight lifted from his shoulders. “Let us end this, then.”

The two stopped their circling and set themselves. Their eyes locked and for an eternity, neither moved.

Then there was flash and the two had appeared to trade places. The clone stood where Myk had stood before, and he let his silver blade drop to the ground. A smile played about his lips as he turned to face the Rogue. “Funny,” He said at last. “That didn’t even hurt.”

And then the clone dropped to the ground, blood and smoke finally pouring from the hole where his heart had been.

* * *

Throughout the remainder of the battle, Myk-Ron Dinn felt a strange sense of sadness. The words of the clone echoed in his mind, and several times Myk stayed his blade and let a Sith run.

 _It will never end,_ Myk thought to himself. _This battle is over, and both sides have been thinned. The War, however, will go on for eternity. There is nothing we can do about it, either. As long as Jedi perpetuate their light, the Sith will revel in their darkness. These “sides” will forever battle as the Force seeks its chaotic balance. The only thing I can do is be here...and I will be. I will not choose sides in the Force. I shall continue as I have for as long as I can remember. I shall fight for my friends and my family. For, in the end, they are more important than the Force._

* * *

Strong arms lifted her and held her close to the sound of a beating heart...so close and yet almost deafening. She opened her eyes for a brief moment, summoning all her strength to do so, believing it was her husband's arms she was in, only to find the determined look of Brink Cadre looking upon her.

"Arie.... _Mistraka aroon_....thought I'd lost you again for a moment....you're getting pretty good at that little trick..." Brink's voice reached her ears over the deafening battle in the background.

 _"It isn't a trick until it's done three times."_ Arie murmured the Coshackian proverb. A deep grunting laugh rumbled in Brink's chest as he held her close to him.

She vaguely acknowledged that Ter-lon, Callista, Xan, Nik, and Vince had Brink surrounded them, their backs to them, forming a protective circle around Brink who continued to hold her close to him.

"Myk-Ron..." Arie's voice was growing weaker.

"Shhh, my _Mistraka_...he is at the front lines with Ainar and Steffan..." Brink calmly replied. She nodded once, slowly, clearly losing strength.

Brink had dropped Callista off near Ter-lon earlier and then with one of Arie's secondary lightsabers, he had pushed his way through the crowded battlefield, fending off random blows until he got to Arie's body lying on the ground.

He had found Nik and Vince fending off would-be attackers and had quickly scooped Arie up in his arms. She was his sister...he loved her...they were the last of their kind...the last of the Coshackians...

"Ter-lon has proved himself in battle, _Mistraka_. You would be proud of him." Brink mused, his smile flashing in Arie's blurred sight.

 _"An awkward colt often becomes a beautiful horse..."_ Arie replied, smiling to herself.

Ter-lon had been such a rambunchous child before Ainar had taken him as his padawan and before Arie had sent the boy to the Jedi Academy to learn how to master his actions and emotions.... She smiled at the thought of the fine young man he was now, tall and strong, handsome and fearless...

"He has your _mish-nock, Mistraka._ And your father's." Brink complimented Arie's grandson.

"Courage yes, but from me, no...Ter-lon is Myk-Ron's likeness..." Arie murmured again.

Brink nodded and Arie opened her eyes again to see him watching the battle as he continued to hold her laying in his arms, her head resting on his chest like a small kitten.

" _Drih-har._..this _cogadh_ is going to be the end of us all...it already has been the end to many _laochs_ here today..." She tried to breath deeper but found the strength she once knew as the Phoenix, gone.

"Yes...many brave warriors have died in this war...on this land..." Brink's voice was distant and almost nonexistent as his dark eyes watched the clashing sabers between Sith and Jedi. He knew Arie's native Coshackian words were very true.

"Brink...my _drih-har._..I need my husband here..." Arie managed to get out.

"He'll come. Give him time." Brink replied.

"I remember running through the wet grass, falling a step behind...both of us never tiring..." Arie breathed softly, remembering being a child on Coshack with Brink....

"Desperately wanting to win...that's what you were, my _mistraka_." Brink's deep voice laughed again. His laughter rumbling in his chest shook Arie's head that was laying upon his chest.

"I need Myk-Ron,” she breathed. She felt cold and numb the way she had a year ago when she had risked her life and her very soul to bring Steffan Karrde back from the purgatory that existed in between this world and the completeness of the Force in the next. She feared her selfless exertion of the Phoenix upon every Jedi on the battlefield would cost her her life this time...permanently.

"Ter-lon and Callista and Xan are here as well as Nik and Vince." Brink tried to stir Arie's interest, but her eyes kept closing out of weakness.

"Keep them away from me...keep everyone away...I only want Myk-Ron...no one else..." Arie's faint voice argued. Brink looked down in his arms to find Arie's breathing much slower than it had been a few minutes beforehand.

" _Mistraka_! Arie! Damnit woman, talk to me! You'll not be dying in my arms today...Your father would have no such thing and I will not hear of it either! This is not a good enough death for Master Luxkert of Coshack- the High Guardian's daughter!" Brink's voice was cold with determination, but loud and Brink's native Brogue accent flared.

"What death will ever be good enough for me?" Arie's reply came after a long moment of silence that had nearly caused Brink to shake the living daylights out of the frail woman he was holding in his arms.

"Aye there's me girl." Brink's Brogue accent returned. Arie's smile upon her lips told him she approved of hearing the Coshackian words and their native accent.

Brink had spent years trying to hide his Brogue, but now he let it slip in hopes it would draw Arie's attention back to his face and voice and away from the warm feeling of sleep in which she would never wake from again if he allowed her to slip into it.

"C'mon _Mistraka_ , stay with me awhile. Your hero returns." Brink's voice commandeered her attention as she quickly opened her eyes once more to see Myk-Ron kneeling beside Brink's embrace.

Myk-Ron was covered with gashes upon his arms, minor wounds he had endured from the thousands of Sith he had fought. His black clothing was torn in places and dirty. Sweat dripped from his brow and covered the back of his neck. His hair was also moist and dirt lined his sharply-etched jawbone and cheeks. His breathing was heavy and quick. His brow was set in a firm stare. His eyes were dark with determination. He looked every bit the returning warrior from childhood stories.

"Give her to me." Myk-Ron's voice was low and deep. Brink handed her over and Myk-Ron took her in his arms, lifting her as he stood to his feet.

Arie's hand barely touched the cheek of his face in a loving caress, but quickly dropped from the touch to her side.

He knew he would lose her soon if the Phoenix did not return to her and give her body strength back that had been drawn almost completely from her. Her hand swung limply at her side and the smile faded from her lips as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Like a general surveying his troops and the enemy, he looked around to see that the Sith numbers had been thinned out greatly and now it was an even fight of Jedi versus Sith...with the Jennasari and the Witches on the side of the Jedi, they now outnumbered their dark opponents.

Holding his wife's unconscious body draped in his arms, he turned to Ter-lon, Xan, Nik, Vince, Steffan, Callista, and Ainar. Mustering military strength in tradition, the look of a great leader upon his face and knowledge of victory in his eyes, he gave the final order to his troops.

"End this now," Myk-Ron said quietly. He turned and walked away, his wife still draped in his arms.


	15. Chapter 15

Callista and Ter-lon parted, allowing Myk to exit the circle they had formed. Callista glanced briefly at Xan, then turned back to Steffan, who was giving orders.

There had been only one time when Steffan had heard that order, when the battle had been him and Waln Cartega against the Coshakian Sith warrior Mahrin Jeras. And when that order had been given, Steffan could only take it one way....

_....it was time for the gloves to come off._

"We've whittled their force down enough now that we have the advantage of numbers and almost surrounded," Steffan said as he turned and led the group away, leaving Myk alone with Arie in his arms. "We close in the circle and keep drawing it in closer."

* * *

It seemed as minutes passed like hours as the battle rolled to its conclusion, and a costly one it had become.

Steffan walked along the field to survey the chaos....and it was the most unpleasant sight one could ever see. He was a warrior and he knew his duty and he knew he was responsible for a great deal of this, but he could still never get over the sight of it.

There were friends, comrades, and enemies wherever his head turned. Jedi....Sith.....Jensaari and Dathomiri...a heavy price had been paid over the past several days for what was required to make things right. The Jedi had lost at least half of the Jedi Knights and Masters that had composed of the order. The Witches and Jensaari lost several of their warriors as well, but the Jedi had taken the bulk of the losses.

It was a sight that would burn in his memory forever. And he wondered if the thoughts he was having were the same of those that ancestors of his along with fellow Jedi had thought through the ages. He left the scene and looked after those that had survived but were wounded as healers tended to them.

"How many more do we need to move?" He asked the person walking up behind him, knowing it was his son there.

"These are the last ones," Ryneas said as he stood there. "The critically wounded already left the system for treatments. After we carry the ones here to the ship, they've said we could leave at any time."

Steffan nodded as he rested there for a few moments. "You and Dilan go with the wounded...tell your mother and sisters that we're alright."

"What about you, father?"

"Leave _White Squall_ behind," Steffan told him as he turned around to walk out. "Our fellows that have fallen need to be seen to. And effects must be gathered and sent to their families....I was leading the council, it’s my last responsibility to them...and I owe them that honor."

* * *

"No one can enter. The Conduit is seeing to the Phoenix" Nik's stern voice replied.

"Move aside! I'm here to see my grandparents!" Ter-lon demanded. Eighteen years of age, an education from the finest Jedi Academy, and the tutelage of a Master Jedi had reinforced his dislike for being separated from those he loved.

"Sorry, kid, can't let you in. Myk-Ron's orders," Vince answered.

Nik and Vince were standing on either side of the slider door that led to the private Dinn quarters onboard one of the transport ships that was waiting to be loaded with survivors, wounded, and personal effects of the dead.

"Damn my grandfather's orders to hell! My grandmother is dying and I want to be with her!" Ter-lon swore, starting to move to access the key panel for the door.

Nik's arm shot out in front of the young man, blocking Ter-lon from laying his hands on the key panel.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Vince warned. "Nik has a nasty temper to those who disobey Commander Dinn's orders. He is with his wife and that is all you need to know."

Brink approached from Ter-lon's left and waited to be let in.

"Move along, kid," Nik growled as Brink entered the darkened room. Ter-lon could make out nothing in the darkness before the door slid shut again, blocking his view once more.

"You let Commander Cadre go in! Why can't I?" Ter-lon protested.

"He was summoned," Vince explained.

Ter-lon jerked his chin at Nik and then sneered at Vince. His contempt for the two rim-rats was growing with each passing moment that he was not at his grandmother's side.

"Very well then. I shall return," Ter-lon warned as he turned and stormed down the hallway to find Callista and Xan.

* * *

"How is she?" Brink asked. The quarters were dark, save for one white candle, sitting on a night table beside the bed Arie laid on. Myk-Ron had removed her clothes and gently bathed her body, all the while praying she would awaken from the coma she laid in. He had now wrapped her in a silken robe, heavy blankets tightly tucked around her body for warmth.

"Still nothing." the Rogue said quietly, gently squeezing Arie's hand as she quietly lay unconscious.

Brink took a seat beside the bed and began whispering Coshackian prayers in his native tongue over Arie's body. He knew they were going to lose her, yet he still prayed.

They kept silent vigil through the setting sun of Msst... evening approached and still she did not stir.

* * *

Steffan, Ainar, Callista, and Xan along with many Jedi Knights and Masters, as well as the Dathomiri and Jenssari that remained stood before the funeral pyres they had spent the better part of the afternoon building and laying the bodies of the fallen, both Jedi, Jenssari, Dathomiri, and Sith, upon.

Steffan held a lit torch in his right hand, a cool night wind blowing over the battlefield stirred the flame to life on the torch he held. Ainar and a few others held torches as well.

Slowly, they moved among the funeral pyres, lighting them on fire, the flames growing with the night wind fueling the fire that burned.

 _"Cast your eyes on the ocean...Cast your soul to the sea. When the dark night seems endless...Please remember me."_ Steffan recited the part of the ancient Coshackian prayer he could remember that Arie had taught him years before. He quietly said it before touching his torch to each pyre's fuel pit, igniting the pyre afire.

When he turned back to rejoin the hundreds of survivors to watch the burning of nearly a thousand funeral pyres, he silently watched as each tiny fiery bird began to leave each Jedi's head and flew towards the transport grounded a few hundred meters from where the battle-weary warriors stood in silent refuge....

* * *

_Fare thee well, my own true love...Farewell for a while, I'm going away....but I'll be back, though I go ten-thousand miles....Ten-thousand miles, my own true love....Ten-thousand miles or more...The rocks may melt and the seas may burn- if I should not return...Oh, don't you see that lonesome dove...Sitting on an ivy tree...She's weeping for...her own true love as I shall weep for mine...Oh, Come ye back my own true love....and stay awhile with me...If I had a friend on this earth...You've been a friend to me..._

* * *

_Please remember me..._. was the only fleeting message sent to Myk-Ron as he kept vigil beside his wife in the dark quarters, Brink to his left, silently looking over Arie's body.

"I think she's gone..." Brink quietly said, his rugged head hanging. The roguish smuggler choked back tears, fearing he had lost Arie, his sister, his best-friend, forever...

Myk-Ron was silent. He knew Brink was right. He had watched for several minutes as his wife had not taken a breath into her body....He had squeezed her hand as tightly as he could, silently cursing the Force for his wife sacrificing herself.

"It should have been me," Myk-Ron said in a low voice filled with anguish and grief.

"It should have been any of us...anyone but her...She was too good for this...for any of us..." Brink answered, rising from his feet, his voice shaky and unsteady.

"I'll go tell the others," Brink said to the quietness of the room, leaving Myk-Ron with his dead wife.

* * *

Steffan felt Brink's saddened presence before he felt him standing beside him. He occasionally looked up to see the continuing flow of tiny Phoenix birds making their way to the transport where Myk-Ron and Arie were.

"Is she?" Steffan, sensing Brink's grief, did not bother to ask the question fully. Brink nodded in reply. Steffan had not felt her passing and was unsure whether to trust the emotion radiating off of Brink.

Steffan sighed heavily and looked at Ainar, who had a questioning look upon his face.

In front of them, one thousand funeral pyres burned, lighting up the black field, sending trails of smoke and burning embers high into the night sky of Msst....

* * *

He bent and kissed her lips gently, his hands moving along her soft cheeks, caressing them one last time.

"You fight this, Princess. I know you can hear me, and I know you won’t let this thing take you again. Fight it, Love. You’re a warrior, proud and strong. This can’t beat you. This can’t take Arie Dinn. Come back to me," Myk-Ron softly whispered to body of his wife, her skin a whiter shade of pale in the dim candlelight flickering beside the bed in the darkness...

* * *

 _Strange, we have not felt her passing..._ Steffan thought to himself. He continued to watch the pyres burning, alongside Ainar, Ter-lon, Callista, and the other Jedi, Jenssari, and Nightsisters...Brink wept silently, tears trailing down the smuggler's rough face.

 _"Cast your eyes on the ocean, cast your soul to the sea...When the dark night seems endless, please remember me...."_ came a weak feminine voice from behind them. _It was in native Coshackian tongue..._

Several turned to see where the voice came from that broke the silence and the soft crackle from the fires burning in the night. Steffan and Ainar both smiled to themselves and Ter-lon and Callista made tracks in the direction of the transport.

Myk-Ron stood at the top of the boarding ramp, Arie draped in his strong arms, weakly holding her head off of his shoulder so she could look out upon the survivors and the funeral pyres.

Ter-lon and Callista waited at the bottom of the boarding ramp as Myk-Ron slowly carried her down and joined the half-circle of Jedi, Jenssari, and Dathomir Witches.

 _It is ended._ Steffan sent to every human, alien, and Jedi in the half-circle. Respectful cheers went up from the group. Steffan raised his hands to silence them.

 _The time for celebration will come when we return to Coruscant...now is a time for mourning._ Steffan sent out and the crowd grew silent again.

Out of the corner of his eye, Steffan could still see tiny fiery birds making their way back to Arie and rejoining the slow-growing light within her as Myk-Ron stood holding her draped in his arms. They stood late into the night, watching the pyres burn, embers climbing high into the night sky.

* * *

Ainar watched as the thousands of dead bodies were consumed by the fire of the burial pyres.

He was glad it was over but still saddened by the dark stain of death on his soul. The Force wept, and so did he.

Steffan walked over to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. Neither one said a thing, the just stood and watched the fire burn.

After a few minutes, Steffan broke the silence, "I felt your struggle back there old friend...for a moment I thought you would fall again, but you fought it..."

Ainar nodded, "It was hard, for a moment it was tempting. I could have ended the fight there, without Jedi casualties....but at what high a price?"

"Yes, the Darkside clouds our judgment....but you pulled through, and I'm proud of that...looks like my little stunt a year ago helped," Steffan said and grinned.

Ainar smiled back at him, "Yes my friend, it did...but now I know I can never taste that much power again. The Phoenix may be a great power of healing, but for me...it's darkness"

Steffan just nodded at him and motioned for Ainar to follow him back to the transport site. "It's time to get back."

Ainar started to follow Steffan back to the camp, limping. He didn't want his friend to see him in pain. His lung had punctured again, and something was bleeding inside of him. He was holding on with the help of the Force. He needed to see Callista soon...Arie couldn't help him anymore.

* * *

Myk-Ron carried Arie up the ramp of the _Firebird_ and gently set her on a bunk inside the main cockpit he had arranged so his wife could be near him on their flight back to Coruscant.

Brink followed behind them and took the co-pilot's chair and began warming up the _Firebird_ while Myk-Ron made Arie comfortable.

"Are you alright, Princess? Do you need anything?" Myk-Ron softly asked, pulling an army blanket up around Arie's waist and legs.

"No darling, I'm fine," Arie murmured, still a bit weak, but her strength slowly growing. Myk-Ron smiled at her and moved a strand of her dark curls aside. He noticed the light in her blue eyes had returned and she was a bit more rested than she had been the night before.

She had attempted walking earlier that morning after they had spent the long evening hours watching the funeral pyres burn the night before, but had collapsed to the ground and Myk-Ron had quickly forbidden her from attempting to stand, much less walk until her strength was recovered. She had argued that she needed to regain her walking ability quickly due to her military retirement ceremony that was to take place on Coruscant in four days.

"They all know to be there, don't they?" Arie asked her husband as he finished stowing cargo and supplies.

"Yes, love, everyone will be at your retirement ceremony, including the Karrde's, Ainar, and your grandson," Myk-Ron replied for what felt like the hundredth time in reassuring Arie that no one would miss her retirement.

" _Our_ grandson," Arie corrected him.

"What?" Arie asked, noticing his grin.

"Nothing dear. Don't have time to discuss it with High Command." Myk-Ron joked.

"I am not High Command...at least I won't be in four days..." Arie grew quiet and moved deeper under the blanket in the bunk.

Myk-Ron noticed her quietness and moved to her side, squatting beside the bunk and laying a hand on her forehead, pushing her curls out of his way as he smiled at her.

"But you'll still be the love of my life," He said, kissing her and then returning to helping Brink stow items and prepping the ship for the journey back to Coruscant.

Arie smiled to herself. He was right and it made her feel at peace.

* * *

“Callista will be along in a few moments. She's finishing healing up Ainar's wounds." Ter-lon announced as he kissed his grandmother's forehead and took the jump seat behind Brink's chair in the _Firebird_.

For his part, Xan had busied himself with squaring away the rest of the cargo before he strapped himself in. As much as he wanted to be near Calli right now, he knew what she was doing was important.

"Good, the sooner we can get off this rock, the better," Myk-Ron grumbled, his previously good mood disappearing once he had spent the last half-hour working on a hyperdrive circuit that had started sparking when he had fired the engines up.

"My baby needs a good doctor," he muttered.

"Grandmother can heal herself just fine," Ter-lon answered on Arie's behalf.

"He's talking about his _other_ baby, kid...the _Firebird_. He's itching to get back to Coruscant and buy up some parts for her," Brink explained to the 18-year old young man, grinning.

"I know your grandmother can heal herself just fine. She's fixed me up real good plenty of times, kid," Myk-Ron grinned, looking back at his wife fast asleep in the bunk and then at Ter-lon.

Ter-lon smiled. "I know. I saw her fight yesterday."

"Which reminds me, who's hair-brained crazy idea was it to let her get mixed up in this crazy war and damn-near die?" Myk-Ron asked in his most roguish voice, his gaze turning to Brink sitting in the co-pilot's chair beside him.

"Hey! Don't look at me, man! I'm just her best friend. Talk to your grandson and the girl about letting Arie join up in the fight." Brink protested, his hands raised in front of him, palms open.

Ter-lon's eyes went wide when Myk's gaze rested on him.

"Don't sweat it kid, Arie's too hardheaded to listen to anybody, even her own self." Brink covered for the young man. Myk-Ron gave his grandson a grin and turned back to the controls.

"Next stop, Coruscant." he replied as the _Firebird_ lifted off the ground and began to ascend for open space.

* * *

Ainar walked unsteadily into the med bay, hardly staying on his feet. "Callista.."

He swayed as he reached one of the cots, and Callista rushed to catch him as he fell. Supporting him with the Force, she levitated him onto the cot, setting him down gently.

"Master, are you alright?" She said worriedly. Ainar had already passed out on the bunk. His breathing shallow and weak.

She helped him out of his body armor and she could see that he was a wreck. She could clearly see that his leg would never be the same. His hand and arm were one again a ruined mess, and his leg was broken in two places. _Oh, Gods, Ainar..._

Gently, she tore the sleeve off his tactical suit so she could get to his arm. She also cut his pant leg open. She knew what she was about to do would cause Ainar a lot of pain. Placing her hand on his forehead, she sent him into a deep healing trance.

Callista had to surgically reconstruct both his hand, and his leg, the bones were too badly shattered..he would require a prosthetic hand instead.

The bones in his leg would not meet correctly for her to set them. Because of this, Ainar would forever walk with a slight limp.

* * *

Ainar had been fitted with his prosthetic which would need to heal properly before skin could be grafted to cover the mechanical limb.

Ainar was now resting after the surgery in a bacta tank, recovering from the surgery Callista her performed.

Callista left the med bay yawning, her limbs tired. She stumbled to the _Firebird_ where her husband waited.

Xan caught her in his arms as she stumbled through the door. Lifting her in his arms, he gently set her on a bunk and helped her enter a healing trance. She was so tired that she couldn't focus enough.

* * *

**The next day...**

"Mom, I hate to say it, but you don't have to keep pacing around the living room," Dilan said as he was sitting there with Andrea and Edward. "Dad'll be here...he's never not come back." And he suddenly shrunk away from his mother's gaze as Andrea looked up at the both of them, "Mother, the battle is over.”

“There's no need to worry now," Jade told them as she sat down finally and tried her best at a smile. But it was a forced smile... She'd seen what was left of _Blue Talon_ after all the damage it had sustained during the fight in orbit of Msst. It was a sight that she and Andrea had feared to see when _New Hope's_ shuttles had brought it down from orbit. When Dilan had told Andrea the damage report, he thought she was going to shed tears...since she had put in a lot of work helping Steffan rebuild it so many years ago.

It was not only that, as he and Ryneas had told them how Steffan had fought like a lion during the battle and how his voice had sounded when he told them to return home ahead of him.

Jade's smile broke the second they heard the low rumble of repulsorlifts breaking the silence of the room. Ryneas was up as if a blaster had been fired and already heading for the front door, with Catharine right behind him. Dilan and Edward helped Andrea up as Jade walked at a slower tempo. Outside, _White Squall_ was slowly coming down on the outside landing pad across the lake from the house. After touch down, it seemed like forever as the engines and powering down.

 _Damnit, open that hatch!_ Jade almost yelled out to her husband and then saw the boarding ramp begin to lower. It seemed like an eternity, but it finally hit the duracrete of the landing pad....and Steffan stood at the top of it, looking at them.

He still had the armor and robe from the fight on him, having not remembered to pull his normal tunics from _New Hope_ after they had left. Jade's hand went to cover her mouth as she could see the tears and cuts in them...how close her husband had come to being killed. And she remembered the stories he would tell the children, that he had been told himself from his father....of the warrior returning from the battle. Not highly praised and lauded, but alone with questions in his mind.

Slowly, he started walking off of the ship and towards his family, hugging Ryneas and Catharine as they were the first ones to run to him. He finally erupted into a smile and he knelt down and took them in his arms and hugged them deeply. Andrea, Dilan, and Edward were next, but Steffan treated her gently as he laid a hand on her belly to feel the child underneath.

"A grandson, is it?" Steffan asked, drawing a surprised look from all of them. Nobody had told him yet, but Steffan only nodded and smiled with pride as Andrea told him that he was right. He let go of them and walked up to Jade, whom he held for what seemed like an eternity before he kissed her with a passion like no other.

"It's over....." Steffan finally said as he looked in her eyes. "It's over...."

"Till the next time," Jade whispered to him as she pulled in and hugged him tightly. "Till the next time, my love. Right now, you need to rest."

* * *

As the _Firebird_ lifted into the misty sky of Myk-Ron’s surrogate homeworld, a strange feeling washed over him. Before him lay the tattered and torn battlefield, lit in the dense fog by hundreds of funeral pyres. Out of the thousands of Jedi who fought in this war, there were scarcely two hundred left. And the Sith...there were a little more of them, but they had all fled, and it was doubtful that any of them would be joining forces again any time soon. But, none of what lay before him seemed to be the cause for this strange feeling flooding his mind.

“Quick course change,” Myk said aloud, and the others in the cockpit looked to the Rogue with questioning glances. “I have a strange feeling,” He shrugged. “This won’t take long.”

Brink shrugged in the copilot’s seat, and Arie appeared to be napping. Ter-Lon and Callista, well, they were too busy talking to notice the odd behavior of one Rogue.

Gently, he nudged the control yoke forward, putting his ship into a shallow dive that had him skimming the tops of trees in no time. He flew by instinct and followed the feeling until he was right on top of the source. He opened his eyes and looked down. Through the mists, he could just make out the giant transparisteel bubble reaching up through the surrounding wilderness.

 _Home_. The word came unbidden to his mind, and a thousand memories rushed to the forefront of his thoughts. Wordlessly, he set the _Firebird_ down on the landing pad just outside the protective bubble of the small city. The old freighter touched without so much as a bump and came to a rest in the spot he had first landed her all those years ago.

Without comment, Myk-Ron Dinn headed aft to the landing ramp. Ter-Lon stopping him with a hand on his shoulder. “Where are you going, grandfather?” The young man asked.

“Nowhere, kid,” Myk shrugged. “I just have to check something out. I’ll be back in a bit. Tell Brink to keep her running.”

And the Rogue faded into the mists around the small landing pad. He crossed to the entrance to the outpost by memory and pressed his had against the ancient sensor pad next to the large portal. There was a hiss of hydraulics, and the doors creaked open. He stepped through, into a world lost in time. The ferrocrete streets were cracked with age, but the lamps lining them still shone in the perpetual night. There was no mist inside the protective bubble, and Myk could see all the way down the road. At the end was the courtyard in front of the main research building where his Aunt and her colleagues had studied the native life of this forsaken planet, and kept an eye on the edge of the galaxy. This was, after all, a lookout station to begin with. The Old Republic had set it up millennia ago to keep an eye on this portion of the edge of the galaxy.

The Rogue could just see the giant arrays of antennas behind the scientific compound. He smiled at the memory of his Aunt. She had been a very kind woman, and incredibly intelligent. And she’d been the only mother figure Myk had growing up. She was compassionate enough to take in a baby off her doorstep, and raise it as her own. For everything she’d ever done, Myk whispered silent thanks to the night.

His feet carried him down a small row of houses, and as he walked, he thought he could almost hear the sound of the neighborhood kids playing in the yards. He stopped in the middle of the street. To his left was a small white house, the roof slightly caved and the windows gone. He’d lived there with his “Aunt” for the first seventeen years of his life. To his right was the slightly bigger blue house of his childhood best friend, Tyff Cyan. It too had seen much better days.

Myk swiped at a tear he hadn’t knew he’d cried and walked to the door of his old house. The door itself, whisked open with ease when Myk pressed the sensor next to it with his hand. Cautiously, the Rogue stepped inside.

A thick layer of dust covered everything in the place, but aside from that, it was all exactly how he remembered it, and the weight of a lifetime came crashing in on him. He hit his knees in the dust on the floor and looked around the room. He’d had to leave when he was seventeen. He had to leave everything he cared for because he was Force-sensitive, and the damned Emperor was hunting everyone down. He had to leave with Erb-Wehttam not only to save his own skin, but to protect the very people he was leaving. If the Emperor knew that Eapera was raising this young man, strong in the Force, as her own, she and her city would be destroyed for certain.

Knowing that he’d had to leave did little to lessen the pain he’d felt that day, leaving everyone and everything he knew behind. And now, as he sat on the floor of the living room, gazing at the holos that still hung on the walls, an immense sadness overwhelmed him. He never saw any of them ever again. He never got another chance to tell his Aunt Eapera how much he loved her and how thankful he was for her. He never got another chance to hear the laughter of his best friend. He left when he was seventeen, and he’d never been back since.

For a long moment, the Rogue sat there until he felt a familiar presence in the room and a hand on his shoulder...

* * *

**Coruscant**

The _Valiant_ set down in the Temple's hangar on Coruscant. Ainar started to shut down the engines and computers, his mechanical right hand knocking into knobs and buttons....he still needed to learn how to use that new hand Callista gave him.

Ainar stood up slowly, letting out a slight grunt of pain. His ribs were not yet fully healed, along with some other injuries that still needed time to heal. He grabbed his gear and backpack and headed for the hatch, he had just regained his ability to walk prior to the flight home, but it still hurt. He reached for a piece of wood he had picked up on Msst and balanced himself as he limped down the hatchway.

There was no one there to greet him, the place was still empty. The Jedi were still recovering and picking up Jedi younglings and young padawans from shelters around the galaxy. He slowly limped towards the iris sealing the Temple and began typing on the access console.

 _"Please enter voice confirmation."_ The Temple security system prompted after a moment.

"Master Jedi Algeron, Ainar. Councilor."

_"Please enter key confirmation.."_

Ainar pushed a few buttons, inserting the code given to him by the Temple's computer before the war.

_"Please look directly ahead for a retinal scan..."_

"Damn computers..."

Ainar watched ahead as the beam of light scanned his eye and waited for the blasted iris to open.

_"Verification completed. Welcome, Master Jedi."_

The durasteel iris slowly opened and the Temple's power system came online. Revealing the empty halls of the Temple.

Ainar limped slowly towards the turbolift and went directly to his quarters. He hadn't been there since Kate died... He entered his quarters, and the light came on. Revealing all of his stuff just like he had left it a year ago.

He placed his walking stick by the door and limped to the liquor cabinet and poured himself some Coruscanti whiskey.

The sun was setting on Coruscant, bathing the duracrete skyscrapers in red light. He sat down in his chair and looked out the window.

There was nothing for him here anymore.

He drank his whiskey.

* * *

**Msst**

Warm arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind and he glanced to see his wife's warm smile as she slid down beside him, sitting on the floor with him, her arms holding him close as he leaned the back of his head on her shoulder.

"Family?" Arie asked softly, noticing the holos Myk-Ron was looking at. She felt her strength tapped from the effort of walking from the ship to the small house her husband had wandered into but did not mention it to him.

"Sort of. My adoptive-aunt...Eapera. She raised me after I was left abandoned at her doorstep...the only person I ever considered family until I met you." He replied, shrugging slightly and setting the holos down. He sighed as he laid the back of his head on her shoulder, looking the abandoned house over.

Her hands moving through his hair and over his cheeks gently let him know she was content with being with him, for however long he needed to come to terms with the past that was obviously haunting his thoughts.

He had gone with her to her home on Coshack she had not seen since she was 6 years old...before she had contracted the deadly Coshackian virus and died the first time....Now she sat with him in the only house he had lived from birth until seventeen...

It was in the blood...the longing feeling to be home- at a home that never existed....the feeling of homelessness would never subside for the two former-smugglers, Naval Republic officer, turned Jedi....it was one of their many connections with each other...to feel forever lost with one another as their only soulmate on the journey through life and space...

"Can you be so warm? Can you know what I feel?" He was talking more to himself than his wife, but she understood the direction of the questions was at her...She stroked his hair again and kissed the back of his head softly, lovingly as her reply.

"It’s the way you move your hands....and it’s the way you understand...and that's the reason that I'm asking...that's the reason I want to know..." he continued.

She could feel his internal conflict...thoughts of the war, his childhood memories long since passed, feelings of love and anguish...turning over in his mind again and again. She remained silent, her hands still moving along his face and hair.

“Can you throw away everything you live for?" he asked when he realized suddenly what was going to occur in the next few days...Arie's retirement from a life-long career in the New Republic Military.

"Yes." Arie breathed next to his ear.

"Why? Why would you do that if it is something you love?" Myk-Ron sat up out of her embrace and looked his wife in the eyes, his face stone serious.

"Because I love you." was her answer.

_It’s the passion that you play._

She caught the fleeting thought from his mind before it was gone and smiled to herself. _Yes_ , she thought to herself, _I have always been passionate...in life..in death..in love..._

 _As a healer...as a Master Jedi...in your career as a General..._ Myk-Ron finished her thought.

"Too many lost here makes it a chain passed down through the years...Ending here if we just face the pain and the fear." She spoke aloud of the dead Jedi, diverting his deep questioning of her true feelings about retiring.

"It will never end. You and I both know that....and there is nothing we can do about it." He answered.

"Except continue to teach our children and our children's children our story...our history...our mistakes... so they can be prepared in the future...can grow and learn." Arie replied.

Myk-Ron got to his feet and pulled Arie to hers, holding her up with one arm around the small of her back and her right hand clasped in his left, almost as if he was going to lead her in a waltz there in the abandoned room...but he didn't.

He leaned and kissed her softly, once. "Who did you love before me? Who did they love before you?" He asked her. She was taken aback from his question and the look on her face showed it.

"I don't suppose I loved anyone, truly, until you, Myk-Ron." Arie whispered, not sure where this strange hungering emotion was coming from that was radiating off of her husband. She guessed it was the memories of Msst and his aunt that was making him act this way.

He kissed her again, this time deeper, still holding her tightly with his arm across the small of her back. "You are too good of a wife...I could never live without you." He mused, smiling down at her.

"You won't have to. I relinquish my command to Major, I mean _Colonel_ Maxell and will return home with you..." Arie said, looking up at her husband, feeling her legs growing heavy under her weight.

"Come now, Arie, tell me the truth. Is this what you want?" he asked her, his voice darker this time, holding her at arm's length he stared at her.

"I want to be with you. I refuse to let my career end our marriage in divorce." Arie restated, her tone matching his as she looked at him. The dark, stern look disappeared from his face and he pulled her into another kiss.

He pulled back smiling at her. "Let's get going. Brink is gonna think we had trouble with mist-makers if we don't get aboard." He turned and began to leave the house he had once called home as a child.

"I can't." came a weak reply.

Myk-Ron looked at her, his eyebrow arched over his left eye. She had sunk back down to her knees and was propping herself up on her arms, her hands sprawled in the dust on the floorboards.

"Arie?" He said, more than asked, taking her hands in his and pulling her to her feet. He felt her go limp in his arms and he braced himself to compensate for her weight.

"I can't walk back to the ship..." she whispered, almost in tears.

"We'll get you checked out by the docs on Coruscant." Myk-Ron replied, swinging her legs up over his left arm so he could carry her out of the house. "I think your over-exertion the other day may have affected your neuro-pathways."

Arie breathed in deeply, disappointment evident on her face. "I will walk down the Arch of Sabers for my ceremony."

"Well, then we better get you back to Coruscant and checked out ASAP then, huh?" Myk-Ron half-joked, carrying her out of the house and back to the _Firebird_.

* * *

"I think I can still fit into my Commander's dress uniform..." Brink's brogue voice laughed.

Callista, Ter-lon and Xan were sharing in Brink's jokes about losing some of his endurance when he retired from the military, no longer forced to meet physical fitness requirements.

All of the laughter was silenced when they saw Myk-Ron carrying Arie up the boarding ramp and back to the cockpit where he laid her in the bunk, covering her with blankets.

"What happened? Tangle with those damned jellyfish?" Brink asked, concerned, as he came to Arie's side.

"Her legs just went out from under her. She hasn't regained her strength and can't support her own weight for long. Gotta be something wrong with her neuro-pathways." Myk-Ron recapped his own assessment, turning away from his wife so as not to upset her.

Despite her husband's efforts to hide her shame, she caught the look of concern and hurt on Brink's face, the look of shock on Callista's and determination on Xan's.

"Stop frettin' over me, let's just get going. I'll be fine." Arie piped up from the bunk, trying to get everyone's attention off of her walking problem.

Brink and Myk-Ron nodded in silent agreement and took their seats as they raised the boarding ramp and Callista, Xan and Ter-lon strapped in. The _Firebird_ lifted off of Msst with a direct heading for Coruscant.

* * *

**Coruscant**

“Babe?” Myk said quietly as he entered the small cabin he and Arie shared aboard the _Firebird_.

She stirred where she lay and moved to sit up, but Myk was at her side in an instant and propped some pillows behind her head. “Don’t move too much babe,” Myk soothed. “I was just going to tell you we’ve made orbit. CTC is kinda backed up right now, some big freight problem or something. We’re going to be sitting for a couple hours before we can get in.”

“Oh?” Arie asked. “What kind of problem?”

“Well,” Myk shrugged. “The short version is that a freighter carrying fuel to Starfighter Command blew an engine. That caused a chain reaction that led to the fuel pods, and they’ve got tugs out now trying to gather all the little bits and pieces before they hit the atmosphere. They’ve gotta keep the shields up until they get all the really big pieces a safe distance from Coruscant.”

“Yuck,” Arie sighed. “That’s going to be a mess. Fuel isn’t cheap. How much did we lose?”

“Well,” Myk sighed. “It was enough that they’ve declared an open market for anyone who has fuel to sell right away. It’s a smuggler’s dream, because the Republic is paying a premium. We won’t be getting another shipment for a month.”

Arie allowed a small laugh. “Talon Karrde is probably having a heyday with this.”

Myk grinned. “Yu, smuggling is looking pretty nice right now.”

“You still thinking about taking Nik and Vince up on their offer?”

“Maybe a little,” Myk-Ron sat on the edge of the bed. “It could be fun. You remember what it was like being an outlaw...a scoundrel. Sure, people were always gunning for ya, but the freedom was great. Going everywhere, seeing a hundred different planets, dodging spaceport security, and toying with local law enforcement. But, maybe I’m just yearning for a bit of the old days. I haven’t made an actual decision yet. I mean, what with the money I’ve got stashed in a few accounts on Coruscant and your retirement pay, neither of us really has to work or anything. Aside from that, those two Corvettes I bought both survived the battle. I could easily sell one or both to the Republic and have enough money to buy us a small island somewhere.”

The Rouge shrugged. “Then again, having two Corellian Corvettes could make smuggling even more fun. That’s a LOT of cargo room, and plenty of weaponry too. We could have a small fleet to ourselves.”

“Sounds like you don’t really know what you want to do,” Arie mused as she rested her hand on Myk’s. “Ever the Rogue. If something isn’t happening, you don’t know what to do with yourself.”

Myk nodded as he played with a strand of Arie’s hair. “It’s hard for a guy like me to really settle down. I’ve been fighting, and running, and speeding my way through my entire life. When nothing is happening...I fell...I dunno....lost.”

Arie just nodded and smiled warmly at the Rogue. He could feel her warmth spread through him and he flashed her a genuine smile in return. “Get some rest, babe,” He said as he kissed her lightly on the cheek. “I’m gonna head to the cockpit and see if I can’t speed some things up or something. And don’t you worry, you’re probably just exhausted from the battle. You haven’t done anything like that in a long time, you’re probably just not used to the strain anymore.”

Arie nodded weakly as her eyes closed and she settled deeper in her pillows, falling asleep. Myk smiled as he took one last look at her before leaving the small cabin and closing the door behind him. She looked so much like an angel when she slept.

* * *

Brink was in the cockpit with his feet propped on the console when Myk walked in. “Still waiting?” Myk asked as he plopped into the pilot’s chair.

“Kriff, yeah,” Brink sighed. “Seriously, they oughtta put some faster engines on those damned tugs. Takes ‘em forever to clear up anything bigger than TIE debris. Things are like pregnant banthas in flight.”

“You said it,” Myk agreed. “Like a Y-Wing, but slower, clumsier, and even more helpless. How much longer?”

“Oh, they found more scrap to clear, now,” Brink said as he put his feet on the floor and took a look at the forward sensors. “It’ll be another two hours before _anyone_ gets clearance.”

The Rogue lit up a cigarette and stared out the forward viewport. There was indeed a lot of wreckage out there, and he could see the little trails of ion exhaust from the tugs working to move it all. Still...Arie was still tired, and it had Myk a little worried. She’d always needed a break after using the Phoenix, but it had been two days now...she was usually back to normal after that long.

“Brink, you remember that meteor shower we flew through all those years ago?” Myk asked.

“You mean the one after our little run to Brihtu?”

“Yeah,” Myk nodded. “You wanna try it again?”

Brink laughed lightly. “It’s your ship, buddy. You can run her through whatever you want,” Brink said. “But how are you gonna get planet-side while the shields are up?”

“Well,” Myk said as he cracked his knuckles and began running through the pre-flight checklist. “The shields work on a triple-layer defense, if I remember correctly. They’re imperfect spheres that rotate opposite directions so that every centimeter of the planet is covered by at least two at all times...but there are gaps in each individual sphere.”

“So far, you’re right on the money,” Brink nodded. “So what’s your plan?”

“Well, we’ll have to time it just right,” Myk said. “But once we get past the debris field, we can slip through the hole in the first shield and fly within the two until we find the gap in the second. We slip through that one and find the gap in the third, and we’re home free.”

“Assuming the sensors on this hunk of scrap can pick up something that precise,” Brink leaned back in his chair. “I don’t really need to tell you that I think you’re crazy.”

“The sensors are great,” Myk said in defense of his baby. “And I prefer to think of it as a general disdain for sanity. It’s far overrated.”

“Like I said,” Brink replied as he leaned forward and flipped off the autopilot. “Crazy.”

“Who’s crazy?” Ter-Lon asked from the cockpit doorway.

Myk set to work and eased the sublights up to speed. Brink looked over his shoulder and arched an eyebrow at the kid. “Do you really need to ask?”

“I suppose not,” Ter-Lon shrugged as he took a seat at the navigator’s station. “Do I want to know what grandfather is planning on doing?”

“Probably not,” Myk answered. “Brink, even out the shields. Kid, get on the comm and tell Callista and Xan to strap in. Arie will be fine in the bunk. The inertial compensators in that cabin are set to maximum. She wouldn’t budge if we rammed a star destroyer.”

“You’re not going to ram a star destroyer,” Ter-Lon asked cautiously as he flipped on the intercom and told Callista to strap in. “Are you?”

Myk and Brink both laughed.

“Just sit back, strap in, and enjoy the ride,” Myk said.

“And if you feel like it,” Brink added. “Pray.”

“ _Oh great,”_ Ter-Lon sighed.

The debris field now filled the forward viewscreen and Myk grinned broadly as he slipped the Firebird into it. Chunks of jagged durasteel floated all around, some no bigger than a man and others as big as the Firebird, herself. With the ease and grace of a veteran pilot, Myk steered his ship through the maze of deadly shrapnel. Only twice did the shields flicker with a minor collision from some small bit of debris, and they were through before they knew it.

“Brink, bring up the sensors on the main monitor and have the computer display the position of the shields,” Myk said as he vectored for atmosphere.

“You got it, boss,” Brink replied, and the computer displayed three spheres over the image of Coruscant, the gaps in the shields were clearly displayed.

“See,” Myk pointed at the screen. “Piece of ryshcate.”

“Yeah,” Brink said. “If you like flying by sensors only.”

“Oh, don’t be such a kill-joy,” Myk chided the smuggler.

The _Firebird_ plunged through the first shield layer and bounced a bit as she hit atmosphere. Before getting too far, Myk leveled her out and headed for the next gap. The shields actually moved fairly quickly, and the timing had to be perfect. He let his hands rest lightly on the controls as he watched the sensors. Then he dove, quicker than even a simulator could maneuver.

Ter-Lon let out an audible sigh, and Myk grinned even broader.

The third gap was rotating in the opposite direction and Myk flipped the ship end over end in the tightest loop he could manage. The gap was coming up fast. He didn’t have time to pull a dive, so he cut the engines and repulsors. The ship dropped like so much dead weight through the sky and Ter-Lon gasped as the skyscrapers suddenly rushed beside the viewports.

When it seemed like they’d surely crash into the roof of one of the shorter buildings, Myk cut in the repulsors, and the Firebird bounced forward on a cushion of air. They soared over one of the many man-made canyons and were falling again until Myk cut in the sublights. The ship dipped slightly before Myk pulled up and skimmed over the tops of some of the smaller skyscrapers. He leveled out into the flow of traffic and eased onto a course for the officer’s hanger at the palace.

“See,” Myk smiled at Brink and Ter-Lon. “Wasn’t that fun?”

“ _COMMANDER DINN!”_ The voice over the comm cut off any answer from the two. _“What in the name of the Force, was that?”_

“Just tired of waiting,” Myk answered over the comm. “Who am I talking to?”

“ _This is General Cilphar of Coruscant Home Defense,”_ The speaker replied. _“And I’m going to have your head for that little stunt you just pulled. I’ve got every pilot and starship captain in orbit jumping down my throat for ‘letting’ you through that line! I can’t tell them that I didn’t because that trick you just did involved knowledge of classified information. The red tape on this is going to be enough to hang someone by!”_

“Easy, General,” Myk soothed. “I have a good reason, other than being tired of waiting. I just wanted to see who I was talking to.”

“ _It had better be a damned good one for all the trouble you’ve just caused.”_

“Arie...I mean, _General_ Dinn needs to be taken to sickbay, Sir,” Myk told him. “I don’t know what’s wrong, exactly, but she needs to be checked out. There’s a chance it could be serious.”

“ _Oh...”_ The voice on the other end lost some of its fire. _“I see...well, you could have said something before plunging into the atmosphere like that. I’ll see about clearing this up. You get her to the medical ward right away, and make sure you call next time.”_

“Roger that, Sir,” Myk said. “I’ll be sure to do that if there is a next time. Commander Dinn, out.”

Brink flipped off the comm. “ _Roger that sir,”_ Brink mocked the Rogue. _“I’ll be sure to do that if there is a next time.”_

“Oh, stuff it,” Myk sighed. “I didn’t much feel like arguing.”

“Sure thing, Commander Dinn,” Brink threw a mock salute.

Myk just shook his head as he brought the Firebird to rest gently on the floor of the officers' hangar.

* * *

"We're here, babe." Myk-Ron entered the small quarters where Arie lay on the bunk.

He noticed an amused smile on her face as she looked up at him.

"General Cilphar give you any trouble with that little stunt?" Arie coyly asked her husband, grinning.

"Only a small ass-chewin', nothing I can't handle. Soon as he heard you were aboard, he shut right up." Myk-Ron laughed, sitting down next to her bunk.

"He'll be in my office wanting to see me in the next hour, just you wait and see." Arie laughed.

"He can complain to you all he wants, but I wasn't going to wait another 2 hours when you need to be seen by a doctor." Myk-Ron argued. Arie laughed.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

"You. Willing to nearly break our necks with that stunt of yours, knowing you can get away with it because of who you are married to!" Arie laughed some more. She found his roguish ways quite amusing to her and she let him know it. Myk-Ron gave her his traditional Rogue grin and kissed her quickly.

"Let's get you into the med wing and checked out. Brink and the grandkids can unload." Myk-Ron said, rising to his feet and picking his wife up in his arms.

* * *

"There are two options we have here. We can let her get plenty of bed rest and see if her strength returns. It could take a while though..." the aging doctor explained.

"What is the other option?" Arie asked, sitting up in the medical bed, her husband standing beside her, his arms crossed in front of his chest as he listened.

"Experimental surgery on your lower lumbar discs. Roughly the same area where you suffered a piercing blow from a lightsaber." the doctor replied.

"In that battle with Hyrtt....ran me through good," Arie muttered to herself.

"Personally, I don't know how you survived the blow. To anyone else, it would have been fatal, or at least paralyzing." The doctor shook his head in disbelief.

"Jedi healers tend to be better at surviving near death-blows," Myk-Ron replied to the doctor, proud of his wife.

"It's up to you to make the decision as to which treatment you want. I'll be back in a few minutes to hear your decision." the doctor said, leaving Myk-Ron with his wife to talk.

Arie was solemn for a few minutes. She was never one to trust medical doctors since she knew more about healing and battlefield surgery than most medical doctors. She was wary of the operating knife in inexperienced hands...but was also not wanting to spend months, if not years, in physical therapy trying to strengthen her back and legs.

She looked up at her husband, who had silently taken her hand and squeezed it when the doctor left.

"What do you think I should do?" Arie asked her husband, the look in her eyes told him she was unsure of herself.

"That's really up to you, Princess," Myk shrugged. "The doctors here are the best in the galaxy, and for good reason. But if you feel hesitant..."

"What?" Arie asked as Myk went silent.

"I dunno," Myk replied, scratching his head. "I don't know much about healing, but I know that the Force is capable of anything...It's a crazy idea, but do you think you could guide me through healing your back? It'd be hard for you to concentrate because you'd be healing yourself...but if I could do it...who knows? We might be able to get you back to 110%...the Force knows no bounds after all."

"This coming from the wisest of Masters in the galaxy," Arie mocked, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Hey, you said it," Myk quipped. "I dunno, it's an option, and I'm more than willing to try if it means getting you back to optimal as quickly as we can. I'll do the work and you can guide my hands and my mind through the process." The Rogue grinned. "I'd be serving as a conduit through which you could weild the Force to heal yourself."

"I think you've let that Conduit thing go to your head," Arie chided playfully.

The Rogue shrugged. "Whatever you say, lady Phoenix. It's your choice...what do you think?"

* * *

"We're on final," Dilan said as he brought _White Squall_ out smoothly through the shipping lanes on approach for the Jedi Temple. He looked back as Steffan walked into the pilot's area. Even after several hours of sleep, a shower, and a fresh set of robes, he still looked like his mind was still weighed down with things from the battle.

But the entire family had come with him for Arie's ceremony. So everyone was taking it easy in the living area of the ship as Dilan and Steffan took turns with piloting. Andrea was feeling okay with the trip, and Jade was glad now that her husband and sons were home now. Even Edward had chosen to come with his wife, but Steffan had asked that no escort be provided....he could not blame Jameson for at least providing some cover. He could feel the presence of _Kure_ shadowing them, cloaked and ready to come to their aide on a moment's notice.

"It looks so quiet around the Temple," Dilan said as he brought the ship closer to the Eastern Hangar, but they soon caught sight of the _Valiant_ resting in the bay and Dilan brought _White Squall_ right alongside the Corellian ship.


	16. Chapter 16

"Brought the family, I noticed," Ainar said as he stayed sitting in the chair looking over the skyline.

Steffan slowly came in behind him and noticed the almost-empty bottle of Coruscant whiskey and picked it up, swallowing the last of it.

"Hey," Ainar told him. "That was mine."

"I needed it too," Steffan said as he sat down next to his friend. "The battle still on your mind too?"

"I can't go back to this, Steffan," Ainar said as he looked down. "After what Kate's death.....knowing what I was almost capable of doing....I don't need to put myself in that position again."

"And I understand," Steffan said. "The battle left us with too few Jedi. We have a lot of young ones from the Academy that are going to have to step up to the challenges...but they can't do this without a new understanding."

"What are you saying?"

Steffan looked to the horizon before turning to him. "I'm going to begin a new praxeum...more open-minded with the concepts that myself and others have been exploring...especially Myk."

"You can't..."

"I told you last year that I had always thought that of the Force," Steffan told him. "It's not going to be easy, but I would like you to come with me."

"I can't....not just yet, anyway," Ainar said as he looked back along the horizon. "I still have my grieving to do...and my own path to ponder."

"I will expect no less," Steffan said as he got up and helped his friend up. "Come on...Jade's fixing us all something to eat before the ceremony. You look like you could use a good meal."

* * *

Arie was silent for a moment. _Lady Phoenix...I like the sound of that almost better than General Dinn._ She thought to herself, smiling inwardly.

She looked up at her husband and took his hand. "Call Ter-lon and Callista. They can help you steady yourself as I walk you through our connection in drawing on the Phoenix..." Arie said quietly, inhaling deeply as she thought over the decision she had made to have her husband help her heal herself.

She had healed herself numerous times before, without trouble, but the night she had laid in bed on Msst with Myk-Ron and Brink at her side, she had attempted to heal herself like usual but found that she had only driven herself deeper into exhaustion...the fiery bird slowly returning to her, but it too had been exhausted and thus she had been unable to heal herself.

Perhaps with someone 'fresh' in strength, not battle-weary like her, would be able to draw on the great fiery bird for the rapid-healing that she needed. Her grandson, granddaughter, and husband would have to do, even though they too were still tired from the war.

"Will do." Myk-Ron said as he began to step out of the medical room.

"Tell them to meet me in my office. I don't want to do it here...in the medical wing where everyone can see me like this..." Arie called softly after her husband.

He stopped in his tracks and looked at her, knowing because she was about to retire in about four hours from the New Republic Navy for good, she did not want anyone, especially younger officers, to see her like this, at her moment of weakness when she could not even walk. He nodded in agreement and thumbed his comm on to summon Ter-lon and Callista to Arie's military office on the top floor of the Imperial Palace.

* * *

General Cilphar was in in his Naval dress uniform, in preparation for Arie's retirement ceremony in a few hours, seated cross-legged in one of the office leather chairs. He rose to his feet and his mouth fell open when he saw Myk-Ron carrying Arie into her office.

"Move aside, General. You're in my way." Myk-Ron pushed past the aging General with his wife in his arms.

 _See, what did I tell ya? He's here to complain to me about you!_ Arie mentally sent to her husband, silently laughing in jest.

"Commander Dinn! Is that any way to greet a superior officer? I'd like to have a few words with you about your little 'stunt' this morning." General Cilphar's apparent anger showing as he moved a step out of Myk-Ron's way and followed behind as Myk-Ron entered the connecting parlor-suite to Arie's office.

"Oh Farrell, stow it," Arie called over her shoulder, giving Cilphar a commanding look. "He only did what he did to get me grounded as soon as possible. And if you are going to bitch about military professionalism, I didn't see you salute me when I entered the room!"

Farrell Cilphar swallowed hard. "Sorry, ma'am...but Commander Dinn's actions violated security clearances and classified information!"

Myk-Ron laid Arie down on her half-backed chaise lounge and stood beside her, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows at the aging General.

"And I will see to it personally that the information is not divulged in any way or form, General. You have nothing to worry about from my husband." Arie snapped back from her position on the couch, her eyes stern with military authority.

"But..." Cilphar began.

"But _nothing_ , Farrell! Anymore talk of this and I will see that you are removed from your command! I still have power for a few more hours to demote and relocate you!" Arie threatened.

"Yes, ma'am, terribly sorry, ma'am." Cilphar blundered through a quick apology.

"General, some of the Joint Chiefs are wondering why you have chosen to promote Colonel Maxell to your position as Head of New Republic Galactic Defense? Colonel Turner of Corellia would be a better choice...or even myself." Cilphar probed Arie's intentions while showing her respect and not directly refuting her decision to put Maxell in charge of the New Republic military.

"Well if the back-biting, squabbling group of archaic wanna-be flyboys want to question my decision, then so be it. Colonel Turner is from Corellia, you said so yourself, and that is precisely why Maxell should be given the promotion. I had no planetary affiliation when I took command of the New Republic forces and Colonel Maxell does not either. He will be well-suited for the position, free from political sway and homeworld loyalty such as Colonel Turner would be to Corellia and Senator Charles Isbill." Arie explained.

"General, I thought Colonel Maxell was from..." Farrell Cilphar began.

"Alderaan." Arie finished. "If memory and history serves me correct, the planet was destroyed by the first Death Star when I was but 19 years old."

"And you weren't even a twinkle in your daddy's eye." Myk-Ron threw him, grinning, his arms still crossed. General Cilphar glared at him.

"As for you not being promoted, you know as well as I do that Naval Reservists are not eligible for promotion to the President's Cabinet and the Joint Chiefs. You are not serving as Active Duty, General, and thus not eligible. The only reason you can throw your weight around with my husband is because he is a retired commander. You will not be able to do that with me, upon my retirement, however, because I retire from a higher ranking position with more tenure than you do or will ever have, General." Arie continued. Cilphar's anger grew and then faded as he swallowed his pride.

"I have business to attend to before the ceremony...General, if you please?" Arie asked Cilphar to leave.

"Aye, General...but if I may inquire about your...condition, first?" Cilphar stalled.

"It's nothing, a simple pulled ligament. I will be fine by the time of the ceremony. You are dismissed." Arie ordered. General Cilphar gave her a salute and stepped to the door.

"Oh General?" Myk-Ron called after Cilphar. He turned to look.

"What is it, Commander?" Cilphar's spit had returned.

"Tell no one of what was seen or discussed within this room, or you will have me to deal with, personally." Myk-Ron threatened, a rogue grin on his face as the General stormed out of Arie's office.

"What was that all about?" Ter-lon asked as he and Callista entered the room, looking after the angry CTC General.

"Nothing, dear." Arie said, returning to her normal tone used for family and friends.

"You summoned us?" Callista asked Myk-Ron.

"Yes, sit down both of you. We are going to try something together to get your grandmother back on her feet...." Myk-Ron began to explain how they were going to heal Arie.

* * *

She buttoned the top button to her collar and adjusted her epaulets and medals hanging from her left tack n' bar. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun and her officer's cap was fit snugly on her head, the brim resting an inch above the brow.

White gloves smartly covered her hands and her black officer's shoes were polished to a high gleam. Her grey slacks had been freshly pressed and the lint and dust removed from her officer's jacket.

Her pilot's wings, General stars, Phoenix Squadron patch, war medals, honor medals, ribbons and bars, naval strips conjoined with army chevrons, and honor cords adorned the grey military uniform jacket with silver trim.

She looked herself over and inhaled deeply, her military regality returning in her serious look and stance. She was the Head of New Republic Galactic Defense. She was the highest-ranking officer. She was the Phoenix. _And she would be retiring from it all...._

Myk-Ron was also in full military dress, his retired Commander's uniform having been freshly spruced up and hemmed for his wearing.

Because he had been in the New Republic Navy before Arie had taken directive action to combine the Army and Navy into one Armed-Naval Forces, Myk-Ron's uniform was that of the traditional Naval Officer's uniform - brilliant white with gold trim.

"Damn, I gotta lose weight." Brink swore as he barely managed to button the collar button on his Naval uniform. His too, was the traditional white, before the forces had been merged under Arie's command.

Myk-Ron laughed at Brink's commented. "You're just gettin' old, spacerat."

"You ain't far behind me, kid." Brink retorted, smiling, calling Myk-Ron the one thing that would set him off.

"Hey now...just you wait..." Myk-Ron began.

"Stop, both of you! Or do I have to demote you both and make you sit in timeout?" Arie laughed, coming between her husband and best friend. They both laughed.

"Leave it to my _Mistraka aroon_ to settle all bets." Brink laughed in his Brogue accent.

"You're buyin' when this is over." Myk-Ron warned, smiling.

"Buyin' like hell! They have open bar tonight, courtesy of the lovely General Dinn." Brink mocked, making a half-bow in Arie's direction.

"Force have mercy on us all...I forgot, the squadrons would be at the O-club tonight and the drinks are free...that'll make for one helluva party." Arie sarcastically replied, rolling her eyes as she smoothed out any wrinkles in her uniform.

"And all in your honor, love!" Myk-Ron said, giving her a roguish grin.

"Let's go or we'll be late," Arie said, leading the two out of her office.

* * *

Myk-Ron stepped out first, then Brink, who helped Arie out of the speeder. Myk-Ron offered his elbow to his wife, who took it, staying on his right side. Brink stepped to Arie's right side but did not offer his elbow because he was to be her honor guard.

"Squadrons! _A'ten-hut!"_ Brink barked the order and the rows of squadrons, troops, and military officers came to attention in front of Arie. They were partitioned on either side, a clear path to the parade field where the New Republic President Donnach, his Cabinet members and Joint Chiefs of Staff were waiting.

"Honor Guard, forward _march_!" came the command. Out in front of the squadrons at attention stepped a row on each side, bearing traditional military sabers sheathed on their belts. At the very end of the rows of Honor Guard were Callista, Ter-lon, Ainar, and Steffan, two on each side.

"Present _arms_!" can the next command as the Honor Guard drew sword and raised them in front of their faces, the hilt horizontal to the ground, the blade vertical. The Jedi held their unignited saber hilts in front of them, also at attention.

"Arms in honor!" The swords were then moved from the attention position to overhead, forming the Arch of Sabers. The Jedi ignited their sabers, forming the end of the Arch.

Somewhere in the background, the New Republic Armed-Naval Forces military cadence played.

Myk-Ron led Arie, with Brink at her other side down the Arch of Sabers until they reached the semi-circle formed at the end of the Arch by the President and his Cabinet, the Joint Chiefs on either side of the President. She had walked.

Myk-Ron released her arm and Arie saluted the President. He returned her salute and then she returned the salutes of her Joint Chiefs whom she was the superior officer to.

The President made a fine speech about Arie's military service and career, as well as her accomplishments.

 _Jeez, I didn't know he was going to be this long-winded!_ Myk-Ron sent to his wife, who did her best not to smile since she was at Parade Rest beside the President's podium on the parade field.

 _Donnach has always been long-winded._ She sent back, catching the smirk crossing her husband's face.

 _When this is over and we've had a few drinks, I'm taking you back to your quarters and am going to slowly remove ever piece of uniform and ravage your body like a madman,_ Myk-Ron coyly sent back to her. He could see Arie swallow hard at the sexual thought her husband had place in her mind.

 _Don't you dare start! I'm supposed to look serious up here!_ She threatened silently, her face remaining in military form.

Myk-Ron smiled to himself as he thought of more ways he could cause his wife to break her serious look while President Donnach rambled on about his wife's military genius.

Finally the President was finished and Arie was called to attention as she accepted the flag of the New Republic on staff and held it proudly before the massive military blockades.

They saluted the flag.

She handed it back to a lower-ranking officer to hold until she was prepared to relinquish it.

"Colonel Maxell, _ten-hut!_ " Arie commanded. "Forward _march_!"

Maxell stepped forward from the President's entourage and saluted Arie, who returned the salute.

"Colonel Maxell, please raise your right hand..." Arie began in leading Maxell through the New Republic Oath of Military Office.

When they had finished, the Captain holding the New Republic Flag on staff handed it to Arie. She took the flag, raised it, then lowered it and then handed the staff to Maxell who accepted it.

 _What are they doing, grandfather?_ Ter-lon sent to Myk-Ron.

 _Change of Command, kid. The superior officer must give the flag of the New Republic to the inferior officer as a sign of the lower officer taking the higher-up's command._ Myk-Ron silently explained the military ceremony.

He assumed Ter-lon understood when he did not ask any more questions.

Arie turned to face the squadrons and the troops, gave salute once more and then her last salute to the President before Myk-Ron lead her back down the Arch of Sabers with Brink at her side.

She was officially retired now...

* * *

"Damn - I remember why I retired...damn uniforms would make anyone get the hell out!" Brink laughed, yanking at the collar of his dress uniform before removing the dress jacket and setting it on a barstool.

"What will the General have?" Brink called to Arie, who had already removed her cap and dress jacket.

"Coshackian Whiskey...hold the rocks!" Arie called back, smiling. She was surrounded by Jedi, friends, and family in the Officer's Club Bar for her military reception.

"What'll you have, love?" Arie asked Myk-Ron.

"Whyvern's Reserve, if they've got it," Myk grinned. "On the rocks, and in a dirty glass."

Arie arched an eyebrow questioningly to which the Rogue simply shrugged. "I'm feeling like something strong enough to be substituted as starfighter fuel."

"Oh, the ceremony wasn't _that_ bad, was it?" Arie chided.

"No, no," Myk answered as he took his glass and downed a bit of the liquor. It burned its way down his throat, warming him, but doing nothing to quell the chill that had been creeping through his soul since the end of the battle. "Just...wanted something strong. Uh...will you guys excuse me for a moment?" The Rogue took his glass and disappeared through the mass of people.

After a moment of silence, Steffan finally spoke. "Um...did anyone else find that incredibly strange?"

"Something's not right with him," Ainar said as he sipped at his drink.

"Yeah," Nik added as he looked at his chrono. "It's been ten minutes since this party started and he hasn't caused a scene yet...something is definitely wrong."

Arie had a puzzled look on her face as she stared off at the retreating back of her husband. He nodded at a door guard and slipped out of the room with his glass in hand.

"Would you like us to tail him, my lady?" Vince asked as he appeared at Arie's side.

"We can keep to the shadows if you like," Nik added. "Make sure he stays out of trouble?"

"I'm not sure," Arie answered slowly. "There's something...I dunno...his mind is all locked down. I can't even sense what he's feeling right now. He's usually a lot more open."

"Not to worry," Vincent reassured her. "Nik and I can get him out of any trouble he might find himself in...and, I may have an idea as to where he's going."

"All right," Arie waved a hand dismissively. "Just be careful. He may not want company right now..."

* * *

His feet were planted firmly on the rooftop ledge of the Imperial Palace. He gazed into the distance and watched as Coruscant's sun slipped behind one of the larger towers on the jagged horizon. The wind kicked up and he swayed lightly in the breeze. The smoke rolling from his cigarette pirouetted in the air before disappearing on the wind.

His mind wandered as he paced the ledge, a display of carelessness that most would attribute to his roguish ways...but there was something else there. Something more elusive.

He had just taken part, a big part, in one of the fiercest battles of his life, and now that it was over... well, what was he to do? How exactly does one so accustomed to fighting live when there is no great war? Peace, while the goal of every warrior, can leave those same warriors lost...how do you pick up the pieces of a broken life when they were scattered on the winds before it began.

He'd never spent much time dwelling no the past. He didn't know who his parents were, and had never had the chance to really think about it. He was always moving, living in the now in order to survive for the future. That future looked like it was now, and he had nothing to do but look at the past he left behind. _Why had his parents left him there on that forsaken planet? Who were they? Where were they from? Where was he from?_

"Many a poet has fallen to their untimely deaths by pacing that very wall," A voice called to him and he turned to the speaker. Nik and Vince were on the roof with him. He hadn't even sensed them approach.

"The wind," Nik said. "It can get nasty up here..."

Myk let the empty glass fall into the chasms of Coruscant, lit another cigarette and hopped down onto the roof. He looked at the two rogues standing across from him and shook his head.

“Did Arie send you?"

"Partly," Vincent Rane shrugged. "It was our idea, though. You are not your normal self, and we were...are curious as to the reasons behind this melancholy."

"I appreciate the gesture, guys, but I'm fine," Myk said as he moved to pass the two.

Nik put an arm out, blocking the Rogue's escape. "It's a good thing you're not that bad of a liar when you play cards. You'd be broke. What's going on?"

"It's nothing I can't handle," Myk-Ron replied with a bit of edge to his voice.

"Hey, pal," Nik said. "We're your _friends_ , remember? We want to help."

"Well, you can help by letting it be," Myk answered as he pushed his way to the turbolift. "I can handle it...I just need some time to think. Stop worrying so much, and tell Arie the same."

"Why can you not tell her?" Vincent asked.

"I'm going for a walk," The Rogue replied as the lift doors closed.

Nik gave Vince a concerned look and shrugged. "Do we follow him?"

"I'm not sure," the mercenary answered. "There is something going on behind his eyes. I think I felt...pain, but it was a different kind of pain...it is hard to describe."

"Yeah," Nik sighed. "Let's go find Arie, we'll tell her what we think, and then we'll see if we should try to pick up his trail. He may be right, he might just need to be alone..."

"Or he might still be playing the hero, and shielding us from his pain," Vince nodded as they summoned the next lift.

They rode in silence to the Officer's Club, and went in search of Arie...

* * *

Steffan leaned back in his seat, Catharine enjoying a glass of water on his lap and he was smiling as he enjoyed the festivities and the pilots making fools of themselves. Andrea and Edward sat with him along their table, his daughter not really up to dancing just yet. And Jade was enjoying a few laughs and conversation with Arie, one mother to another.

Brink's wife, Nib, showed up for the ceremony and Ereena had come with her....and Ereena was now dancing with Ryneas on the floor. He knew Brink had had the 'father's talk' with Ryneas on _New Hope_ shortly before the battle. And if he remembered the way Brink looked afterward, his son did more than pass the test.

"Enjoying yourself?"

"I thought I felt you coming," Steffan said as he looked behind him and saw Matther Payne walking up. He was in Cataani dress black uniform, his decorations and service ribbons decorating it...but instead of four gold bars against the red field of his collar, Steffan noticed a single star in the middle of the field. "Excuse me... _Admiral_ Payne."

"I received the Rear Admiral ranking after Endor," Payne said as he shook hands with the Jedi Master. "We thought we would show the General our respect by showing up."

"We?" Steffan asked.

"Some of the other commanders," Payne was saying, indicating a few Cataani officers in dress black talking with different New Republic officers.

"Ah, I see," Steffan said as he grinned at his friend. "So you had a backup reason for having _Kure_ following along behind us."

"My apologies, Master Jedi," Payne said laughing. "Better to kill two birds with one stone...I was going to have the whole group provide escort, but it was Rightman's idea." Payne pointed over to _Kure's_ commanding officer.

Steffan grinned and shook his head as he looked around the room...

And saw Nik and Vince coming back into the hall, the looks on their faces were telling him a different story from the atmosphere of the party. "Excuse me, Admiral."

He crossed the hall and came up on Nik and Vince before they got over to where his wife and Arie were sitting. "What's wrong, Vince?"

Vincent looked around before leaning in to speak quietly to the Jedi Master. "It's a personal matter that we need to discuss with Arie," Vince whispered. "I'm sure you've sensed it. There seems to be something...amiss with 'the Conduit.' Nik and I tried to ask him about it, but he refused to speak with us on the matter. Something feels odd..."

Steffan nodded as Vince and Nik quietly relayed to him what had happened on the rooftop.

"We need to speak with Arie," Nik said as he began wading through the sea of people within the club. "Then, I think we're going to tail him."

* * *

Ainar struggled against the habit of drinking from a glass using his right hand...he had already shattered one.

He sat at the bar and drank from his glass of Ruby Bliels, he wasn't in a mood for celebrating.

 _It was an end of times._ He sipped slowly from his glass and let his mind drift off, the battle was still heavy on his mind. He could still hear the screams of Jedi falling in battle..

"Excuse me?"

Ainar snapped out of it and looked up. The young woman serving at the bar smiled at him. "Can I fix you up with something else?"

Ainar looked at his glass and found it empty. He looked up again at the young woman and shifted in his seat.

"What about some whiskey, any kind. On the rocks."

The young woman smiled again and left to pour him a drink.

 _She's cute.._ Ainar looked over his shoulder at Steffan who stood there grinning, deep in discussion with a Cataani Admiral.

 _Oh, I didn't notice_ Ainar replied to his friend while accepting the new glass of whiskey from the young woman.

"You're a Jedi..right?" the young woman said, leaning against the table, smiling at him.

Ainar shifted in his seat again, and nodded. "Master Algeron," he said and extended his right hand, but quickly pulled it back when he saw the look of shock on her face, her gaze steady on his metallic prosthesis. Ainar picked up the glass again with his left hand and downed it as he turned around and grabbed his walking stick. "I have to go."

Steffan looked away from Nik towards the sudden motion that caught his eye and saw Ainar starting to walk about from the bar...and the look on the bartender's face showing shock...the arm?

He watched as Ainar left the hall, and Steffan could not help but feel remorse for his friend. The casualties weren't just at Endor, or Rhen Var...or Msst... _They'll stay with those of us that survived for the rest of our lives._

* * *

"So, how did you enjoy studying at Templar Academy?" Ryneas asked Ereena as they slow-danced on the open floor of the O-Club.

"It is a very scholarly academy." Ereena laughed. "And Corellia is much different than I thought it would be. More tradition and such than Coruscant has."

"Will you be returning to complete your degree?" Ryneas asked. A smile crossed Ereena's face..

"That is one of the joys of being half-Coshackian." Ereena grinned. "I've already graduated."

"Oh. Where will you go now that you have graduated?" Ryneas changed his question.

"Well, there is a ladies finishing school on Naboo and of course, Templar Academy on Corellia that I could return to, but I think father is leaning more to my attending the graduate academy in Vista-Lopo." Ereena explained.

"Well Livda is near Cataan..." Ryneas slyly suggested. Ereena laughed, smiling at his suggestion.

“Would that mean you would come to visit me?" Ereena asked.

"Well...that is if your father would let me." Ryneas joked as they laughed together.

* * *

Arie noticed Ainar leaving in a hurry and motioned for Callista to come over. Callista left Xan at their dinner table and came to Arie.

"Yes, grandmother?" Callista asked as Arie hugged her.

"Would you go check on Ainar? I just saw him talking to one of the O-Club's servers and then he headed out the door rather quickly. Steffan said it had something to do with his arm...Would you be a doll, and speak with him?" Arie asked.

"Of course, grandmother." Callista agreed, kissing Arie's cheek and walking out the O-Club's door to find Ainar. She turned back to the group that was surrounding her barstool, listening to her speak.

"Why if it isn't the loveliest face to ever grace a military uniform!" Exclaimed a familiar face. Arie looked up to see Senator Charles Isbill, accompanied by his brother, General Eric Isbill.

"How did I ever guess that Corellia's finest would grace me with their precense? Charles, Eric, I'm glad you could make it." Arie laughed, hugging Charles and Eric kissing her hand lightly in a short bow.

"It was a beautiful ceremony, Arie darling, but a sad day for the Republic to lose such a strong leader and military genius." Charles replied.

"Charles, when will you ever learn that flattery will get you everywhere?" Arie laughed, smiling at his compliment.

"Ahh, dear brother, the great General has done well in choosing her successor, I believe." Eric spoke up.

"Yes, yes she has." Charles agreed. "Colonel Maxell will be wearing General stars before the year is out, I foresee."

"He is a suiting fit, Arie." Eric returned.

"Are you two flattering me because you are in need of a favor, or am I just radiant tonight?" Arie joked.

"Radiant as always, darling, but yes, we are in need of a favor," Charles replied, grinning at her.

"What is it this time? Need some feathers smoothed in the Senate or another loan for military research?" Arie jested in return.

"No, no, my dear, no money involved. Rather, it is about your husband. You see, we are gathering several Force-sensitive individuals from Corellia and wish to have them trained as Jedi...by him." Charles proposed.

"Oh, I see. The Conduit of the Force as a teacher? On Corellia I suppose?" Arie asked.

"Well wherever he would agree to train them." Eric cut in.

"Well, the man you should be talking to is right over there. Master Steffan Karrde is thinking of opening his own Jedi school centered around the same principles my husband follows." Arie said, pointing to Steffan across the room who was at a table with his wife, daughter, son-in-law, and a few other Cataani military personnel.

"Thank you ever so much for pointing us in the right direction." Charles thanked Arie, kissing her hand and smiling at her as he and his brother headed over to Steffan's table to discuss the Jedi school he would be opening.

 _Look out, Steffan, Corellia's finest have your number!_ Arie sent, joking. She saw Steffan look up at the Senator and General's approach and smiled at Arie.

Nik and Vince cornered Arie who was at a barstool, surrounded by several younger officers, Nib, Brink, and several Senators as Arie was retelling some old war stories, making everyone hang on the very edge of her words.

Her smile slowly disappeared when she saw Nik and Vince approaching.

"Excuse me." Arie said, pardoning herself from the group and stepping aside with Nik and Vince.

"Did you find out what's wrong?" Arie said in a low voice, eyeing the crowd for the return of her husband that did not come.

"That's a negative, ma'am." Vince shook his head, biting his lower lip once.

"He's shut up tighter than a Hutt's coinpurse." Nik threw in, shrugging his shoulders.

"It's not like him to be like this. He never closes himself off from me. Never." Arie said to herself, frowning.

"I'm sure he'll warm up in his own time..." Vince offered.

"Maybe it's just post-traumatic stress disorder." Nik brought up, grinning.

"It is no such thing! I've been in plenty of battles all my life and have never had PTSD!" Arie angrily replied, her eyes dark.

Vince's raised eyebrows and Nik's smirk told her all she needed to know. Her anger was a direct result from battle fatigue...as well as her previous temporary walking disorder.

"Well, maybe a little." Arie conceded. "But I refuse to believe my husband would ever have PTSD...he's so much stronger than me..." She ended in a whisper, her gaze far-away.

"And it's usually the strong silent types who go psycho, flip out and kill dozens of people before committing suic....hey! What was that for?" Nik began but Vince nudged him in the guts with his elbow, giving him the hint to be quiet.

"I was just trying to be..." Nik argued.

"Shut the hell up," Vince replied, not wanting to upset Arie.

"I'm going to find him. He shouldn't be alone." Arie began, rising from the barstool and suddenly grabbing the bar rail with her right hand and her left hand grabbing for her abdomen.

"What is it?" Vince asked, concerned as he put an arm under Arie's left arm for support.

"I'm going into labor..." Arie breathed in between winces of pain.

"What?" Nik asked.

" _The baby is coming!_ " Arie yelled at him. The music stopped and everyone, including the servers, turned to stare at Arie.

“You heard the lady! Outta the way, the Dinn baby is coming!" Vince ordered, helping Arie out of the O-Club, Brink, Nib, Steffan, Jade, Ter-lon, and several others following.

"I thought you had three more months!" Nik exclaimed in surprise as he walked behind Vince and Arie.

"I'm Coshackian!" Arie snapped at him. "Our gestation period is only seven months, not nine like other humans! The baby is a couple weeks early."

"Oh, well that makes sense now." Nik's comment sent Arie over the edge.

"Find my husband, NOW!" Arie yelled as Vince helped her into the medical ward. Nik and Vince left to find Myk-Ron and Brink ran to get a doctor.

"This baby is coming, and I don't think it has any plans on stopping." Arie breathed as Nib and Jade ushered people out of the medical room Arie had taken residence in.

"Y'all can see the child when it's born....the General needs her privacy now," Jade told the growing crowd out in the waiting area before returning to Arie's side.

Brink entered. "Doctor'll be here in a couple of minutes. Callista and Ainar are on their way." He rasped in between breaths.

"Anybody find my husband?" Arie asked as another contraction began.

* * *

Callista glanced up when Arie called her name in the busy O-Club. Rising, she quickly made her way towards her mother.

"Yes, mother?" Callista asked as Arie hugged her.

"Would you go check on Ainar? I just saw him talking to one of the O-Club's servers and then he headed out the door rather quickly. Steffan said it had something to do with his arm...Would you be a doll, and speak with him?" Arie asked.

"Of course, grandmother." Callista agreed, kissing Arie's cheek and walking out the O-Club's door to find Ainar. Reaching out with her mind, as she had all those months ago, Callista found Ainar wandering the canyons of Coruscant aimlessly.

"Master Algeron, are you alright? Arie was concerned for you. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Ainar turned towards her and sighed.

"It's just..." he stopped, sighing as he searched for the words.

Callista listened quietly as Ainar spoke. She knew that he had had to deal with a lot of this since Msst.

"If there is anything I can do...." she trailed off, her senses flaring. _Arie!_... "We need to get back, the baby's coming now!" She turned and sprinted for the med center, Ainar right beside her.

* * *

Callista and Ainar burst into the medcenter, and were confronted by a solid wall of people. Callista almost started pushing through, but Ainar gestured with his hand, and people simply moved aside, mumbling apologies.

Glancing at him in wonder, she hardly heard the apologies. "Your pardon, Master Jedi, we did not see you..." Entering Arie's room, Callista immediately went to her grandmother's side, even though the doctor was there, she could still be of help.

"Mother, what can I do to help?"

"Get some of these people out of here!" Arie asked. She only wanted her granddaughter, Jade, Brink, and her husband, beside the doctor, in the room with her. Ter-lon would have to wait outside with the rest of the group.

Nodding, Callista turned to Nik and Vince. "Please go find Master Dinn. He should be here for the birth of his child..." she trailed off as she sensed him enter the med center, the crowd parting like the Red Sea.

"Never mind, could you please make sure no one else comes in here?" They nodded, and went to stand outside the door to Aries room. Myk entered, going right to his wife's side.

Callista turned back to Arie. "Mother, if you like, I can lessen your pain, and put up a shield around this room, so no one can hear or see in..."

She nodded. "Please do.."

* * *

His knuckles were torn in places, his right eye was beginning to swell, and it looked like his lip was split. His spotless naval uniform was now covered in dirt and Arie thought she saw a few splotches of blood. The collar was undone and the jacket was torn in places. Noticing all of this for the first time as he took her hand in his, she shot him a worried look.

"Myk, what happened?"

The Rogue gave her a quick grin, although it seemed to be forced. "I think you have more important things to worry about right now, princess," He said. "I'll tell you about it afterward."

The next contraction arched her back in pain and she gripped Myk's hand tighter...

She bared down harder and pain shot through her like white-hot lightning. She was sure she would break her husband's hand before this was all over.

"Something's not right...I've never had this much pain...or blood," Arie said, noticing the blood-stained towels the nurse was using to sop up the bedtable she laid on.

"Nothing's wrong with the baby, love, it's just been...years since you've had a child." Myk-Ron tried to soothe her.

"Something is wrong, Myk-Ron! This never happened when I had Kevin...or Ian and Branan as twins!" Arie argued, wincing in pain again as more contractions came, more rapidly.

She was right. Myk-Ron knew it. He remembered how easily her pregnancy and labor had gone with Kevin. She had barely been in labor for two hours when Kevin was born a strong and healthy boy.

He had heard rumors from Brink and Nib about 6 hours of labor with the twins, no difficulty though. But of course, she had given birth to the twins in the Karrde home on Cataan with Jade as a midwife.

Now he sat beside his wife's bed with Jade and Callista on the other side and a nurse and doctor tending to her, wondering if perhaps his wife was right and that there was indeed something wrong with the baby.

 _You better not die on me._ The thought quickly crossed Myk-Ron's mind, suddenly remembering all the stories Arie had told of Coshackian women dying in childbirth when she was a girl.

 _I don't plan on it._ Arie sent back, squeezing his hand again.

* * *

After fifteen hours of labor contractions, labor-inducing drugs, pain-relieving waves from Callista, and an emergency caesarian-section later, the doctor handed Myk-Ron a small bundle wrapped in a white towel. Everyone had been ushered out of the room by the doctor except Callista and Myk-Ron.

A small face, eyes closed, nose wrinkled up and a small thin lining of dark brown hair like its mother's...Myk-Ron was finally holding his daughter.

He had not held a child since Kevin had been born and that had been nearly 60 years before. He shook his head at the thought, that time had passed so quickly while he had been gone, yet so slowly.

"Have you decided on a name?" the nurse asked Myk-Ron. He had been so enthralled at studying the tiny little face and hands that lay sleeping in his arms, that he had not noticed the nurse's approach.

He looked up, as she asked the question again and frantically searched his mind for the name he and Arie had picked out months beforehand when Arie had first noticed a faint female Force-signature growing within her womb. He looked over to see that Arie was sleeping, still under the Force-trance Callista had put her in so the doctor could perform the C-section without administering anesthesia to Arie.

"Yes...yes I believe we decided on Evelina Scarlett Dinn." Myk-Ron said, smiling down at his daughter.

"You are going to be just as beautiful as your mother. And you will be my little princess." Myk-Ron whispered to his new daughter. He rose to his feet. He would have to show the crowd in the waiting room the newest edition to the Dinn family....

Callista stood next to her father, gazing down at the small baby he held lovingly in his arms. Leaning over Arie, she placed her hand on her grandmother's forehead, bringing her out of the trance.

She stepped back so Myk could place the baby in his wife's arms, watching as her mother's face lit up. Arie and Myk blazed like twin suns in the Force, their joy and happiness was so strong.

Reaching out to Ter-lon, she summoned him. _Grandmother would like you to come in now..._ She opened a hole in her shield, allowing him to enter the room, then closed it once more. She could feel the anxiety of everyone in the waiting room, and turned once more to her Arie. "Mother, would you like someone to make the announcement?"

"I think you better let my husband announce the good news. I'm a bit worn out." Arie said softly, her eyes drooping heavily as she drifted back into sleep.

She knew her husband would make her apologies for her and introduce Evelina to the rest of the Jedi, family, and former officers who waited outside, anxious to hear the news.

She also knew once that had been done, her husband would return to her and tell her what had happened to him...why he was bruised and battered in the short hour he had been gone from the Officer's Club earlier that day.

Nodding, Callista turned toward her friend, collapsing against him after a moment. The strain of damping Arie's pain, while keeping up the shield had worn her out.

Ter-lon helped her over to a chair in the corner, easing her down into it. He gazed at her with concern evident on his face. "Rest, Callista... Don't wear yourself out.” He sighed, a hand resting on her back for a moment as his gaze sought Xan's. He could see the older Mando pacing a track on the floor of the waiting area.

* * *

"Man, for a rimrat, spacejockey, Hutt-loving flyboy with rocketfuel in his blood...you sure make some pretty babies..." Brink complimented Myk-Ron's daughter as he slapped Myk-Ron on the back. "Congrats, man."

"Thanks, pal...you owe me a drink." Myk-Ron returned, grinning as he held his baby daughter in his arms.

"Drink, hell, how 'bout the whole damned bottle?" Brink laughed.

"Sounds like a plan. Let me get Arie settled in our quarters and then I'll meet you at the Crash Down." Myk-Ron agreed.

The Crash Down cantina was the traditional pilot's bar in the lower floor of the Imperial Palace. It was a favorite hang-out of New Republic pilots, both former and active duty, as well as most of Arie's former Naval and Army enlisted personnel.

The vast majority of the young officers, several Senators and what few Jedi were left, had all congratulated Myk-Ron on the birth of his daughter, Evelina Scarlett. After an hour of people gushing over how adorable she was, they had gone their separate ways, leaving only family and closest friends with Brink and Myk-Ron holding his daughter in the waiting room.

"Meet ya in half an hour," Myk-Ron called over his shoulder to Brink as he re-entered the medical room Arie was assigned to. Ter-lon and Callista were sitting in two chairs near the bed and Arie was sitting up as they discussed plans for later. Xan lounged uncomfortably in one of the chairs in the waiting room.

"Now, my dearest, it is time to get you back to our quarters. If I leave you here in the medical wing, everyone and their mothers will be by to see you and the baby and you won't get any rest." Myk-Ron said, moving to Arie's bedside and lifting her, the baby in her arms, and setting them into a mobile chair unit. He wheeled them out of the medical room, nodding to the doctor as they left and to a turbo-lift that would take them to the Presidential Level.

"Here we are my love." Myk-Ron sing-sang to his wife as he rolled the mobile chair unit into their house.

"What have you got up your sleeve, Myk-Ron Dinn?" Arie asked, slyly at his rather happy tone.

"Nothing, love, nothing." He replied, smiling.

"I know that tone of voice, Myk-Ron...you're going down to the Crash Down...probably to meet up with Brink and Steffan, drink a bit and gamble a bit, aren't you?" Arie asked, smiling as the baby slept in her arms.

"Well, ya caught me. You don't mind, do you?" He asked, taking the baby from her arms, kissing Evelina lightly on the forehead and then laying her in the bassinet beside their bed so she could continue sleeping.

"No, of course not. Brink probably wants to buy the proud father a drink." Arie said as she kissed her husband's cheek when he bent down to lift her out of the mobile chair and into their bed, setting her down gently.

"Thanks babe, I won't be out late, I want to come back up here and check on you, but I promised the guys..." Myk-Ron said, smiling as he turned to leave.

"Hold it, mister." Arie's tone had changed and Myk-Ron turned around to see what was the matter.

"You aren't going anywhere until you tell me why your uniform is in shreds, covered in dirt and blood, and you have a fat lip...what happened?" Arie asked her husband, her steady gaze telling him she was seriously wanting to know.


End file.
